Strife of a Locked Heart
by SinisterSaint
Summary: [Pairing.. ambiguous for ending reasons (Hint: either Tifa or Aeris) ^.^] *Finished!* The dilemma is over... yet Cloud has one last goal to overcome. Review please ^.^ It makes me feel fuzzy
1. Prologue

[A/N: Welcome all who are reading! Just to let you know, I need to thank all who have reviewed my work. You're compliments, no matter how short, mean so much to me. Even if you just read my stuff without reviewing, thank you too for taking the time to read ^.^ As for this, I'm having serious writer's block for Sapphire Eyes, so I'm moving on to this story. It's a story of confusion, misled words and misunderstood feelings. This kind of some ventilation for me, so read on. I can't tell you the pairing, cus it would ruin the twisted ending I have in store. Please, review if you can. It means much. Thank you ^.~ v ]  
  
[Ok, Enough babbling. On with the story!]  
  
  
  
  
  
  
.x. The Strife of a Locked Heart .x.  
  
  
x Prologue x  
  
Tifa looked over to the window and sighed to see the hunched form of Cloud standing before it. His silhouetted form blocked out the light of the stars, casting a large shadow throughout the cozy room. The silence was overbearing.  
  
Tifa slowly sat up and quietly slid out from under the covers of their feather bed. She padded softly up behind Cloud and slid her arms around his waist, laying her head lightly on against his back. Cloud hardly flinched; making no movement or sound in return to her presence. He was as a statue, cold and torture.  
  
Tifa closed her eyes in understanding. She heard Cloud's breathing and the faint beat of his heart. Most of all, she felt the thoughts that were churning inside his mind and the heavy brooding in his heart. He was thinking of her again.  
  
/But it's ok,/ Tifa always thought to herself. /I'm lucky to merely be in his presence. I'm not about to cause any more trouble in his heart.. I'll just be there for him when he needs it, and hope he feels better./ She sighed again, deeply. Cloud remained motionless, as if she weren't even alive.  
  
/I wonder if he'll ever be whole again.. I'd really like to see him happy.. Permanently. I wonder if he'll ever see how much I really want that for him../  
  
She pushed all other thoughts out of her mind, like always, thinking it useless to think about it now. She hugged Cloud a little tighter, wishing there was something she could do for the inner struggles he was going through. She suffered when he did; but she would never know the pain he was undergoing. He had a very tender, bitter past that he rather kept locked away in his heart.  
  
Locked inside. That's exactly the way he acted when he thought of her. He was very out of place, and acknowledged nothing and no one. Since the end of Sephiroth, the end of Midgar, Shin-Ra and Meteor, he had forced himself to move on. For a while he accepted it all, settling to call it fate, if only to appease his mind. He asked to stay with Tifa, hoping she would help his anguished feelings.  
  
She gladly accepted, and they had lived together in harmony for nearly a year. They had gotten along better then friends, and Cloud discovered that he was in love with her, again. It was if she had the key to his heart, and all his problems seemed to melt away when he gazed into her lovely, crimson eyes. It seemed almost like everything would finally be alright, as long as he had Tifa by his side.  
  
Almost.  
  
As of late, he started having vivid dreams of an angelic young girl from his past. She was always clad in the soft colors of pink, bringing her soft, beautiful features into full scale. Her sparkling emerald eyes matched her surroundings; she was always in a field of green, which swirled around her petite form like mist on a cool, moist morning. He felt as if she was calling for him. Her voice was very unlike the rest of his dream, it was always very faint and obscure, whereas everything else was always clear and vivid. As soon as she spoke, she would slowly fade out of sight.  
  
When he awoke, she was all he could think about. He would then start to ponder back into the past, and he would remember how much he missed her. He of course always remembered her for what she had done. In that perspective, she would never be forgotten. What he was trying to forget were the personal feelings he was harvesting for her. He was hoping they would fade away, as she was clearly gone. But along with the dreams, they were coming back. He remembered what he told Tifa in the crater. He remembered saying he knew where he might be able to find her, if it was possible. Maybe these dreams meant something, maybe he -could- find her. And if he did, he might finally lay to rest all the troubles of his past, of all the blame he secretly laid upon himself.  
  
He supposed that all this time, he was running from the past. He was running from the pain and all the things that had happened to him. At first, he was beginning to worry that he was merely using Tifa to hide his past from himself. He truly loved her with all his heart. But as the dreams were haunting him more and more, he began to worry less and less about Tifa.  
  
She had realized this, too. He always had a piece of himself hidden away, but he began to hide even more with every passing day. He was becoming colder, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. So she stayed there, silently by his side.  
  
But this was the first time he ignored her as he did. He had never blown her off as coldly as now.  
  
As a silver tear slid quietly down her cheek, she began to wonder if she would ever be pushed out of his life for good someday. She had been fighting this thought for some time now, and never let it sink into her heart. But on this particular night, it nestled deep inside her being. He might someday push her away for good.  
  
So for now, while she still could, she held her love Cloud as close to her as possible, fearing it might be the last she felt of him..  
  
..forever.  
  
  
[Next chapter is already typed and prepared. I'll post it in a couple days. Please review, I need to know if I'm getting anywhere with you guys. Fame isn't exactly my forte, so I'm begging! ^.^;;; Ja-ne!] 


	2. Sweet Oblivion

[A/N: YaY! Love the reviews. ^.^ Thanks so much to everyone who takes the time to read my stuff. (oh, putting a characters thoughts are placed inbetween '/'s, cuz it's my own lil style ^.^) well, read on and enjoy! :D ]  
  
  
Tifa didn't sleep at all that night. After standing by her beloved Cloud for what seemed like hours, he finally gently pushed her away and left the room. Where he went, she didn't know, and why he left was just as ambiguous. She wanted so much to follow him and make sure he was alright, but at the same time, she knew that if she did, she would just be getting in his way.  
  
She lay there, awake and disconcerted, all night and morning long, staring unblinking at the blank ceiling. Waiting for Cloud's return. Her heart was churning in her chest, painfully making it's worried presence know. Her mind was just as tormented, as she silently prayed for his safe return. Or at least, just a return at all.  
  
As the sun began to rise, her heart began to sink even deeper into despair. She sat up, worry and distress plastered plainly over her lovely features, her hair tasseled from restlessness. She peered around the once dark room, and for the thousandth time that night, slipped out from under the agitating comfort of the blankets. Pulling on a warm robe, she walked downstairs and past the kitchen, hoping to see the form of her companion.  
  
She walked through the dining room/bar, and could hear the echoes of her memory from the recent past. In this room, herself and everyone else who were proudly known as AVALANCHE, had gotten together over beer and Tifa's own cooking to keep old times in touch. They often laughed, a thing they were not able to do very much before. They were easy to relax, now that everything was under control, and peace had finally settled.  
  
But that warm feeling was no where within Tifa anymore as she searched for Cloud. She finally crept into the living room, to see him sitting, rather uncomfortably, on the large, roomy couch. He was bent forward, his elbows rested on his knees, as his chin lay in his open palms. His Mako drenched eyes were rigid, and judging by the dark rings around his eyes, he had slept just as less as Tifa had.  
  
Tifa softly made her way to his bent form and kneeled down in front of him, gently placing a soft hand on his knee. Concern was written in her eyes as her forehead wrinkled, displaying her apprehensive eyes.  
  
"Cloud?" Her voice came out, hardly above a whisper.  
  
His eyes were trained in a straightforward glance, in a forever unending gaze of deep thought.  
  
"Cloud, are you alright?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Please Cloud, if there is anything I can do.." She paused, speculating his every breath in case of a reply.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
"I'm here for you. Please.. If there is anything I can do.."  
  
She waited for a moment, searching his complexion for any kind of answer. But he was blank, in every way shape and form. Completely unreadable.  
  
Tifa sighed and looked down. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away and stood up, feeling the blood rush back down through her body from her earlier crouched position. She walked to the kitchen, shaking off the muscle cramps that threatened to take over. She hadn't the need to fight much any more, so her muscles were losing their rough edge. The lack of sleep hadn't helped, either.  
  
Moving only his eyes, Cloud peered at her retreating form. He instantly felt a pang of regret strike his heart as he so cruelly blew her off. He knew she was concerned, but she didn't know what he was feeling. He buried his face in his hands. Those dreams were destroying him, yet, he didn't know if he wanted them to stop, all the same.  
  
Entering the kitchen, she promptly set herself to making some hot mint tea, and some warm breakfast sandwiches. To her misfortune, it took only a few minutes to prepare as she was hoping to pass some time, hoping that when she appeared, Cloud would be alright again, and that he'd warmly embrace her as he always had.  
  
She walked back out to the living room, only to find Cloud gone, once again. She placed his plate down on the coffee table which sat before where he once sat, then carefully balanced his mug of mint tea next to it, in case he came back. She sat slowly next to where he would have been, and sipped at her own mug of tea. It was perfect.. Yet sickeningly sweet to her tongue. She set it down roughly, and took a couple tender nibbles of her sandwich. Also cooked to perfection.. Yet perfectly bland to her senses. She tossed the sandwich back to it's plate, then sat back against the cushion of the couch.  
  
Time floated by, and Tifa's mind reeled. She couldn't stand the harsh, cold silence that now surrounded her. Just as she was about to stand up, the back door opened, lifting a sudden cold draft of fresh air around her. Just as soon as it opened, it had slammed shut. Cloud's heavy footsteps sounded almost angry as he made his way to the living room once again. He stopped in surprise to see Tifa on the couch, her eyes widely gaping at him, yearning for some kind of attention. He eyed the untouched food placed neatly on the coffee table, obviously made for him, and then at Tifa's nearly untouched food, which was carelessly situated in a pile before her.  
  
He looked away, somewhat ashamed, and brisked into the kitchen. Tifa sighed in defeat, as she heard the sound of a refrigerator door opening, followed by a tin can opening, the fizz of soda eminent in the air.  
  
/He won't even accept what I make for him../  
  
Cloud's footsteps then led him to the bar room, where he sat down on his favorite, dark blue bar stool. It was salvaged from what was left of her bar in Midgar, along with some of the other items in the bar. It was his favorite place to be, because it was filled with Tifa's presence. She had made this room with great pride, and this is where AVALANCHE held most of there current meetings. (All consisting of merely fun and talk, and just being together for the sake of being alive.)  
  
They often played card games in here, along with anything else they could think to do. Cloud smiled softly to himself, cradling his soda can, as he remembered some of the good times in here. It was where memories were made. New memories of happiness, and joy.  
  
He was just about to stand and find Tifa to apologize, when suddenly he remembered his dreams. He hesitated, and sat down again, at first fighting the thought, but soon subdued and let it take over his mind. He let the images of the young maiden's face envelope him, as she smiled softly, and reached a hand tenderly in his direction.   
  
/Why can't you leave me alone?!/ He thought, contemptuously. Then his mind relaxed as she flashed her smile again. How could he get angry at someone so innocent and angelic? So beautiful? He laid his head down on the bar in defeat.  
  
"Aeris.. Where are you?" He whispered softly, wishing things would be as they once were, wishing he would stop being haunted by these vivid dreams.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa closed her eyes and slid slowly down the wall until her body rested in a petite pile on the floor. She had peered in on Cloud just as he uttered those last words, and they struck her heart like an oversized, poison drenched arrow. The air around her seemed to grown heavy, and her lungs labored for breath. She hesitantly stood and made her way for their room, trying to be as quiet as possible.  
  
Once there, she silently locked the door, and laid upon her bed, finally letting the damned tears flow. She cried silently into her pillow, not wanting to be heard.  
  
Her mind's wheel began turning ruefully and mercilessly, presenting to her all the possible truths. /So he does still love Aeris../ She sighed. /I wonder if all this time... He could be out finding her.. But I'm holding him back. All this time I've been trying to help, when really I'm just hurting him more by keeping him cooped up here. That's why he wouldn't tell me anything../ Tifa's tears flowed a little harder as these horrible thoughts ravaged her mind. /I was happy.. And I thought he was happy too.. But I guess I was just lying to myself to keep what we had pure../  
  
For hours she sobbed, and for ages her mind tormented her. She felt horrible. She placed Cloud's torment on herself, voluntarily taking the blame, accepting it as truth. She thought thoroughly of what she would do. She thought of what she could say to Cloud, but nothing of justice came to mind. All she wanted was for him to be happy, no matter what the cost to herself. He had been through so much already..  
  
She finally came to one conclusion. She would tell him to go find his Aeris, and wish him the best of luck. Then, she would perish. She knew that once he found Aeris, he would be truly happy, forever, and with herself gone, Cloud would no longer have to worry about Tifa's feelings. He would be free, and he would be happy.  
  
She slowly got to her feet, and started packing some necessities; her best pairs of fighting gloves, her favorite bits of materia (mostly all mastered by their long-ago travels) and her fighting outfit. She smiled sadly to herself. /Well, I guess I do need to brush up on my skills. How ironic./  
  
While packing, she pondered on how she would present herself to Cloud. She practiced her fake smile, and how the words should flow out, warmly and nonchalantly, as if nothing at all was wrong. It hurt so bad on the inside, but she could never let it show. Though she tried, she always ended up breaking down. She shook her head and sighed deeply. /How can I even face him.. After all I've put him through../  
  
She reached for a pen and paper. It was the cowardly way, but all her life she had to be nothing but optimistic. She had to be the backbone, the bright smile, the tough girl. But now no longer. She was tired of forcing a smile, playing a facade for everyone to feed off of. She was alone now, terribly alone, and terribly hurt. No one had even thought twice about her fears and struggles, only Cloud had.. But now he wasn't himself anymore, and now he didn't care. /It's all my fault, too. Heh.. How ironic./  
  
Tifa quietly tip-toed downstairs, her professional eyes searching for any movement, her ears straining for the slightest sound. She pulled her pack full of supplies over her shoulders, clenching the piece of paper close to her. Carefully made her way over to the coffee table and laid the paper down next to Cloud's still untouched food, obviously cold by now. She grabbed her sandwich to eat along the way, welcoming the much needed nutrients for her much unplanned journey.  
  
Taking one look back through the house, she slipped out the back door, with the ambition of never being seen again. Another tear slid down her soft, pale cheek, despite the fact that she promised she would never let another one fall. As the door closed, a draft of fresh air wafted in, lightly blowing the paper across the coffee table, where it thus landed in a small pool of the mint tea Tifa had so carelessly handled earlier that morning, obscuring some of her handwriting.  
  
And to Cloud's complete oblivion, she was gone.  
  
  
  
[A/N: Next chapter comin up soon! I was going to wait a couple days to send in this one, but I decided I couldn't take it. x.x Oh! And I saw LotRs:TT today!! O.O!!!! What an incredible movie!! Long live Legolas XD ] 


	3. A Familiar Stranger

[A/N: Well, here I am with the next chapter, up and ready to go. ^.^ Thanks again for the reviews I've been getting, they make me feel all warm and tingly inside. ^.^ This chapter, I'm sure you noticed, is a bit longer, so what are you doing reading this! Get to work on the chapter! ^.^ v Lol, enjoy :D ]  
  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
Cloud awoke from his abhorrent sleep on the bar table with a sense of urgency. He glanced up at the blurry vision of the neon clock hanging on the wall behind the bar table, where the many different types of beverages were stored. It was nearly 5 in the evening. Cloud stretched his sore muscles and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  
  
/That's what I get for staying up all night, I suppose./ He thought lazily to himself. He looked into the remains of the soda can and heard that the fizz was gone, leaving the liquid flat. Cloud growled to himself and tossed the can into the nearby trash bin, forcing himself up to his feet.  
  
He was immediately overcome by dizziness and was just as soon forced back down to the discomfort of his stool. /Ugh.. Only discomforting when you're ass has fallen asleep../ Cloud thought with a groan.  
  
The image finally took over his mind again. Aeris. Cloud groaned again as his consciousness wavered in her image. /She's calling for me../ He thought with confusion. /I../ The image of Tifa finally made it's way into his blonde, spiky head. /Tifa.../ His head sunk back down to the bar table with a hurtful thud. /God, what am I gonna do?/  
  
After some time of regaining his thoughts and putting himself together, he stood, slowly, to let the blood flow evenly. He slowly walked into the kitchen, retrieving a new can of soda to quench his newly parched throat, and walked about the house to look for the brunet woman he always reveled in the beauty of. He thudded upstairs and looked around, not calling out for her just yet, hoping he'd catch her off guard so he could sneak up behind her and hug her.  
  
As he peered in their bedroom, he noticed some things missing. Mostly, her fighting gloves. /She must be out training again. She hadn't been able to do so in ages./ He thought to himself. It made perfect sense. Her favorite materia and fighting clothes were gone, too. Cloud smiled to himself. /Well, I'll just catch her off guard then when she comes home./ He laughed evilly to himself. /I'll give her a welcome she'll never forget./  
  
Forcing Aeris out of his mind and keeping focused on Tifa was what he needed most right now. He bounded down the stairs, scheming his attack on the unaware Tifa when she arrived. He went to snag the sandwich she had made for him earlier, regretting his earlier actions. Or in his case, lack of actions. As he picked it up, he noticed an oddly wrinkled scrap of paper. He picked it up and read all that was legible.  
  
"Cloud, I understand. Go find her."  
  
He immediately dropped the chilled sandwich and unconsciously sat down on the couch. His heart skipped a beat and his mind swelled with what he thought to be joy. He stared blankly at the paper, feeling overwhelmed at the fact that Tifa really did understand him and his feelings. He needed to lay his past to rest, and finding Aeris just might help. Losing her was unbearable. Seeing her again for at least one more time would solve his conflicting heart, hopefully forever.  
  
After a moment of soaking it in, Cloud instantly jumped up and bounded upstairs to start packing right away. He had a smile on his face wider than he could ever remember it being. He quickly adorned himself in his old fighting uniform, feeling glad that it still fit him perfectly. He opened the closet and retrieved the famed Buster Sword, which sat next to Tifa's favorite pair of fighting gloves, now dubbed *MIA. All his other swords and Tifa's gloves were placed in the dining room/bar, like trophies. Every other AVALANCHE member also gave their weapons for display in the large room. (Keeping of course, for themselves, their own weapons for times of "just in case")  
  
Cloud grabbed his stash of Materia and some gil and hopped happily back down the stairs. He had, by now, completely forgotten about giving Tifa a surprise arrival. /I should probably wait for her../ Cloud thought hesitantly. /But I wanna get this done and over with. I have to see Aeris. Tifa will understand, I know she will. When I get back, we'll be together and happy just like before. I'll make her happy, I promise.. It's the least she deserves./ Cloud scribbled a note on the back of Tifa's, and happily bounded out the door. He went to the small stable that was built in their back yard to keep their pair of gold chocobos.  
  
He was surprised to see that Tifa's chocobo, Blade, was gone. She usually didn't go far to train. Cloud shrugged to himself. /Well, she IS a professional, I don't doubt she left somewhere where the monsters are harder. I don't blame her, after what I put her through this morning../ He sighed inwardly, feeling the pang of regret strike his heart once more. He pulled out his chocobo, Matrix, and fed it some mimmette greens. He hopped onto the newly hyped chocobo and bounded off quickly through the Nibelheim gates to God-knows-where, to find resolve in the green eyed Cetra that he held so dearly in his heart.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa had decidedly taken the mountain trail to exit her hometown. Leading her chocobo through the treacherous pathways, she avoided anything dangerous, particularly the bridges. She had twice fallen on those, both times with Cloud there to save her. This time, she was alone, and wasn't about to risk a third time. Besides, the more time she took, the better. This was more than likely the last time she would ever see her hometown, at least for a very long time.   
  
While she passed through the narrow, dark caverns of the mountains, she pondered on wether or not she was being rational. She knew Cloud would worry, at least a little bit, but she wasn't planning on disappearing forever. She would visit her other friends and let them know she was alright. Cloud would learn of her through them, and then he could go on living happy with Aeris.  
  
She sighed. Maybe she was bing irrational. Running away was definitely not the best option, but as she had thought before, she was tired of being the strong one.  
  
She shook all the thoughts beyond her mental reach and decided to think about where to go, and what to do. Now that she was alone, she could do anything she wanted without having to worry about other people.  
  
/Well, not just yet, anyway./ She thought. /I'll check in on Barret first, cus I know little Marlene will be worried to death if she finds out I'm missing./ She smiled slightly to herself. /Yes. I'll definitely need to see her first. That little cutie always brightens my day./ She remembered how Marlene helped run her bar back in the old days. Every time Tifa walked in, the little girl would run and hug her knees, smiling brightly, eyes sparkling, proclaiming how much she had missed the older girl, who was practically a mother to her.  
  
Tifa reached down into the leather pouch, hanging on the customized saddled for the chocobo made for long distance travels, and pulled out some Mimmette Greens, Blade's favorite. The bird, sensing this, peered back at her eagerly with her large sparkling eyes. Tifa smiled at the chocobos face, as it looked almost as if Blade was smiling. It was almost goofy. Tifa bent forward and gave Blade that Mimmette Greens, who warked happily as a new energy started to manifest.  
  
Scratching behind the large birds head, she leaned back and sighed, wondering where she should go. She didn't want to see any of her old companions just yet; She wanted to figure out where she was going and what she would do from now on. She wanted to be well sure about herself, so as not to worry her friends.  
  
/I've got to think of a reason for why Cloud's gone, too../ Her heart thudded deeply in her chest at the thought of the blonde haired man that she loved so much. She remembered back on his smile. It was so rare to see at first, but as he began to warm up, it was sparkling and bright.. And his eyes always glimmered with a childishness, as if he was always up to something. His hair hadn't changed, it remained it's usual spiked composition, and she often teased him for it, as Barret had. He would always counter with calling her "fish tail", and that's usually where the playful argument would end, with Tifa stomping off in protest. He would then follow up behind her and tackle her, laughing and tickling, as they'd roll over the carpeted floor.  
  
A tear unknowingly slid down Tifa's cheek at the memory. No matter what she tried, she knew those memories would mercilessly haunt her, probably for the rest of her life.  
  
/Mercilessly haunting.. Just like Cloud's dreams of Aeris./  
  
The idea struck her hard, and looked down shamefully. He had transformed so much when Aeris started haunting him again. His eyes would grow cold, his muscles tight and rigid. He was always in stark concentration, as if trying to contact her psychically, as he had in his dreams days before she died. He was worried, that much she could tell. Tifa had asked him softly if he had been able to reach her somehow, but he'd look at her cold and blank, as if scolding her for even asking.  
  
/Will I become something like that in time? Will I be so haunted be the dreams of him that I'll become merciless and cold?/ She clenched her teeth and tightened the grip she had on her reigns. /No. I must move on. Cloud had a problem with it because of all the physical stress he had been forced to endure, with the Mako experimentation Hojo had progressed on him, and his falling into the Lifestream twice. It drained him, made his already confused mind suffer./  
  
/Until I had helped./ A little voice in the back of her head had said. It was faint in her mind, but as she thought about it, it became strong in her heart.  
  
/That's right. I helped him through it. I never left his side, not once./ The new feeling that was growing inside of her was strong, resilient. /I was always by his side. Always helping. No matter how hard it was for everyone else. I even stayed with him when we thought we were going through the North Crater alone, to fight the prodigious seraph, Sephiroth. I never once left his side, even after Meteor was gone. I stayed with him./  
  
She made her inner voice sound as confident as she could. She needed it; even if she was only masking her true, inner feelings. This would at least provide some comfort in moving on. For now.  
  
/I did the best I could for Cloud. He was doing just fine. We were both happy, and we were both deeply in love. But things changed. His heart was being led in a different direction, now. Wether he wanted it to happen or not, it was happening. He was changing from the man I loved to someone completely new./  
  
"And he doesn't need me anymore." She said out loud. She had to force the words out, as they hurt her heart so horribly. She looked around her surroundings to see where she was. She was almost out of the Nibelheim Mountains. Thinking back on the map of the world she had once traveled, she pondered all the different towns she could stay in. She was limited, though, for she didn't want to be seen by anyone she knew, not just yet. Her mind instantly rested on Kalm. She knew nobody there. It was very close to where Midgar once magnificently stood, which unnerved her greatly.  
  
But she had to move on sooner or later, which meant getting over a lot of her old feelings.  
  
Upon reaching the exit, she headed Blade in the direction of Kalm, kicking off at a past pace. The bird warked gleefully, probably happy to be out and running once more. /I could probably go to the Gold Saucer again, and start racing some more. Just like when Cloud and I did../ She cut herself off.  
  
No. Not right now.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Cloud didn't need a map. He had remembered so well the terrain of the planet. He had, of course, only been around it at least several hundred times. Cloud smiled, feeling the excitement build in his stomach for a new adventure. One that didn't involve saving the world from a treacherous being with incredible powers, hoping to destroy the planet on his behalf. That was all over now.  
  
Cloud frowned at the thought. /Sephiroth./ In all honesty, they really didn't differ at a great quantity. They both had horrible pasts, both being manipulated by the Shin-Ra with Mako energy, both of them drenched in the knowledge of the Lifestrem, and both severely confused as to who they really were.  
  
Cloud shivered the thought away. He didn't want to think of Sephiroth being even close to his well being; after all that he had done, Cloud wanted to think of him as nothing but a monster. A sorely confused monster, at the most.  
  
/After all, he killed Aeris. Heartlessly, coldly./ Cloud steered the chocobo, Matrix, to the direction of the Cetra's death bed. The City of the Ancients. His mind endlessly toiled over the event, and wondered if it had really been Sephiroth who killed Aeris.  
  
He scoffed at himself. /"What are you talking about, you spiky-headed dumbass!"/ Barret would have said. He honestly didn't know, but something about the thought bothered him. /Jenova, after all, had complete control over him./ He remembered back on the terrible tremors he would feel in his brain every time he would try to remember something. It was as if someone had gotten inside his head and put an electric fence around all the memories of his true self, and every time he tried to access them, he'd be shocked horribly. /Maybe it was the same for Sephiroth and Jenova.. She had manipulated him into believing all those faulty truths../  
  
Cloud mentally kicked himself out of his reverie. /Why the hell am I trying to defend him, anyways./ He focused himself back to the journey ahead. Matrix seemed to be in a delightfully good mood, which meant faster travel. He kicked the bird into action, and the chocobo happily headed north, to their destination.  
  
Cloud meanwhile pondered onto the words he would say once he found Aeris. He thought over and over again on what she would look like, what her surroundings would be, if he'd be able to hear her voice. He wanted to back sure that she was safe and that the Promised Land was protected, and if it was everything she expected it to be. He wanted to ask for forgiveness for not being able to save her when the time was right, for a raising his sword to her uncontrollably. He wanted to say sorry for not being the bodyguard he was supposed to be.  
  
The thoughts poured and streamed through his mind like a waterfall, unending and torrentially. He sighed, and slowed himself down, organizing his thoughts and putting questions into a mental waiting line.   
  
/I only hope I can find her quickly.. The longer I take, the more worried Tifa will be. Besides, what if there's only one chance? All this time she's been trying to contact me, what if there's only one moment to see her, and my time's running out?/ He kicked the eager chocobo into action, and it bounded lithely north, hoping that it wasn't too late.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
  
When she had finally reached Kalm, it was nearly midnight. /That's what I get for leaving so late in the afternoon./ She shrugged, as she slowed the panting chocobo to a trot. The town's lights were warmly and brightly lit, welcoming the weary late-night travelers. It was a sight for sore eyes. Tifa hadn't rest at all since she left her home. Without a bite to eat, she was purely starved. She probably looked a mess, too, but that would have to wait.  
  
As she neared Kalm's front entrance, she peered over curiously in the direction of Midgar. Her skin shivered only slightly as she could see the faint outline of it's massive structure. The night was clear, with millions of stars shining gloriously through the stark darkness. What she could make out of the ex-city was that it was nearly in shambles. It was at such a great distance that it seemed small, but yet, she could still see the outline of disaster that had been wrought upon it and it's weary people.  
  
"Can I help you miss?" A soft voice called up to her, snapping her quickly out of her thoughts. She looked down at a young woman with a cheery disposition, who seemed to be referring to her chocobo. Tifa looked around and noticed she was in front of the local chocobo stable.  
  
Tifa smiled at her warmly and climbed down from Blade, removing her needed belongings. "I'll only be staying for the night." She said, her stomach growling hungrily. A touch of pink brushed her cheeks, and the woman smiled at her cheerily.  
  
"I'll bring your chocobo to the singles stables. You can pick it up there whenever you wish to leave. The stables are clean and fresh, so your chocobo can get the best rest possible." She recited from memory, as if she had only been on the job for a few days. "There's a fantastic restaurant in the end of town, called 'Heaven's Retreat'. The food is great and the price is right."  
  
Tifa handed the girl some gil and gave her polite thanks. She turned, walking for the first time in hours, feeling the strain in her legs as she looked for the Heaven's Retreat. Being out under the stars felt like a wonderful escape. She never tired of their beauty. As she walked, she gazed up at them, smiling in deep thought, trying not to remember the endless nights under these stars with Cloud.  
  
Unfortunately for her trying, she walked head on into a stranger, knocking her down to the ground in surprised, dropping her bag of belongings. She looked up timidly at the person, and felt a pang of guilt strike her heart. It was a man, a very tall man with short black hair and dark, almost empty eyes, his chin hugged with a thin, neatly cut go-tee. He wore a knee-length, black coat with clean pressed business slacks underneath, and perfectly polished shoes. He had dropped the briefcase he was holding. He scowled down at her as if about to snap out a remark about paying attention to where you're walking, but then his features softened as his gaze turned towards Tifa's guilt-written face.  
  
He immediately reached his hand out to help her up to her feet, stopping to grab his briefcase first.  
  
"Oh, I am so sorry, sir," Tifa stammered, accepting the strange man's hand. "That was completely rude of me, I should have been-"  
  
"Do not worry about it, miss" The dark haired man said. His voice was liquidly smooth and deep. He seemed the type to give long lectures about scientifically important things. Judging by the way he dressed, he probably did just that.  
  
Tifa blushed and brushed herself off, gathering again her things that had fallen on the ground, embarrassment flooding her. To her discretion, the stranger was studying her every movement. He was captivated with her beauty, her flawless form, her perfectly long slender legs, her pale, smooth shoulders and long, silky, dark hair framing two gorgeous crimson orbs, and he of course, examined her ample breasts. He smiled to himself. What a creature like her was doing out at a time like this, he didn't know. But he couldn't of had better timing.  
  
When she had gotten herself together, she smiled at him, her cheeks still glowing red, and said with a voice that shamed the very stars, "I apologize again, sir. I'll definitely be more aware next time."  
  
He gazed at her longingly and said, "Please, to where are you headed at such a dire hour of the evening?"  
  
Tifa side-glanced him, a bit skeptically, hearing a small accent to his voice that was strangely familiar. After a moment of thought, she confessed. "The Heaven's Retreat. I'm a bit famished.."   
  
"Ah, then, I have some spare time. Allow me to escort you." He said smoothly, a slight twinkle caught in his dark eyes.  
  
Tifa hesitated. She honestly didn't want to be talking or 'escorted' around by anyone, especially not some tall, dark and handsome stranger such as himself. "Really, you don't have to.."  
  
"I insist." He stated crisply, but with a tender smile.  
  
Tifa forced a smile and replied. "Alright then, if you insist." She knew she wouldn't be able to get rid of the man, he was simply persistent. Besides, she was going to be leaving the next day, anyway, leaving her alone for a very long time. She guessed that this bit of conversation would be a good way of setting off.  
  
The stranger reached forth his hand in introduction, and said with his deeply silky voice, "I'm Tadrith S.," He momentarily paused, "Dirkin."  
  
Tifa, a bit confused by his stumbled name, reached forward her hand as well for a formal handshake. She was taken surprise, however, when he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss upon it. Tifa blushed girlishly and responded, "Tifa Str.. Tifa Lockheart." She flushed at the near error; Cloud had always referred to her as his Tifa Strife, and she herself had become accustomed to referring to herself under that name. But that it was, no longer.  
  
Tadrith gestured for her to follow by his side as he headed for the end of town, to the awaiting restaurant. Tifa silently cursed herself for all that had happened. She wasn't normally the type to let herself get off guard, while plummeting into persistent strangers that seemed strangely familiar, yet completely unknown at the same time. She couldn't read anything from him. It was as if he was blanketed mysteriously so that no one could read his movements or thoughts, so he could be completely unpredictable. Handsome, for sure, he was; but Tifa had sensed an uneasiness about him. She decided to watch her back carefully while he was around.  
  
"So what brings a lovely young dove such as yourself to this small town, alone, I presume, at such an ungodly hour?" Tadrith questioned, watching the young woman next to him with keen interest.  
  
Tifa looked steadily forward, making it known her strong nature and prowess ability to defend herself in any given situation. Choosing her words carefully, "I'm visiting some friends. I'm just stopping by this town on the way to freshen up."  
  
The tall man nodded. "And you came by chocobo, I'm guessing?"  
  
Tifa looked up in slight surprise. "Yes; how did you know?" She asked, defensively.  
  
Tadrith smiled. "I wouldn't think that you would be walking all this way. Seeing that you are physically strong, you wouldn't want to be so sedentary as to travel by vehicle. That wouldn't be your style. Chocobo's are fast and strong, yet take a keen ability to handle correctly, and require at least some physical strength to be able to endure sitting on one for listless amounts of time." The words just flowed like honey, as if he had practiced that exact speech again and again.  
  
Tifa gazed up at him in shock, her mouth moving to say something in reply to his ready response, which seemed to reveal much about her, even thought she had only known him for a few minutes. "You have a keen eye." She finally managed.  
  
Tadrith smiled and looked away from her. "I supposed you could say so, yes." A confusing choice of words, but it satisfied Tifa's ears, all the same. The closer she got to deserting this man, the better. She didn't want him finding out any more than he needed. And he already knew too much.  
  
Before long, they had reached the quaint little restaurant. The young woman at the chocobo stables was right; the smell seeping from this place was absolutely delightful. Her eyes widened at the choice of foods, and she quickly ordered her choices. To her disappointment, the dark haired man with her decided to join her for the meal. They had sat down at one of the dimly lit tables, and sipped at their cool drinks while Tifa eagerly waited for her meal.  
  
Tadrith, on the other hand, had a very hard time taking his eyes off of her. She was gorgeous, and drinking of her beauty was something he had taken a quick liking too. She was very quiet, however, seeming to want to conceal her thoughts and plans. He had hoped to change that.  
  
"So, Tifa." He started, looking into those dazzling crimson eyes. "Where are you from?"  
  
Tifa hesitated, seeing that the man hadn't stopped staring at her all this time. She actually felt a bit flattered, but this wasn't the time for that. "Born and raised in Nibelheim."  
  
His eyes opened a bit wider, his eyes glimmering for a short moment with recognition, but it was concealed away again as if it were never there to begin with.  
  
Tifa smiled inwardly at the little insight. /So, he has some kind of knowledge of Nibelheim, then./ She decided not to press the issue further, though. She didn't want to spark any interest to urge him to stay longer. "During most of my childhood there, I was trained by the legendary Zanghan to become a martial artist. I travel a lot to keep my training at a maximum. Wouldn't want my skills to be hindered." She said, almost threateningly, to make sure he knew she would be a deadly choice as a victim of any kind.  
  
Tadrith caught this, and countered with a smile. "I would one day like to see you in action." He peered at his watch, checking the time.  
  
"I don't think you'll need to worry about that. I won't be here after tomorrow. I leave first thing in the morning."  
  
Tadrith's smile faded only in the slightest. "Pity." He said smoothly. "I would have liked to become more acquainted with you."  
  
At that moment, the food had arrived. Tifa was all too happy at the timing, too; she didn't know how to respond to Tadrith's last statement. She happily accepted the food and dug in, keeping her manners in check as most as she could.  
  
Tadrith's eyes never escaped her. He still had that smile on his face from before, as if something were going to happen and only he knew about it. Tifa was too enthused with the food in front of her to really care. "Maybe sometime you'll drop by again, and tell me of your ventures. I'd like to know how your little 'visit' with your friends underwent." He stood slowly, with his briefcase still in hand.  
  
Tifa paused from her food and looked up at him, about to respond when he again took her hand in his. His hand was large, and very warm, almost comforting. He looked straight into her beautiful wine colored eyes. "I should also like to hear about the man you're running away from. Perhaps an answer to why." With that, he kissed her hand tenderly and whispered her name, engulfing in her beauty for one last time.  
  
He then turned, and left, leaving a shocked Tifa sitting in her spot, gaping after him in wonder, amazement, and perhaps even a little fear. How the man had found that out, she would probably never find out. /Oh, well./ She sighed. /At least I'll never have to face him again./ She began to finish her food. /I hope../  
  
As she finished, and grabbing her belongings, she left to pay for her food. At arriving to the counter, the cheery young clerk smiled happily at her and said, "The man that was with you a moment ago already paid, ma'am." Tifa smiled at her in thanks, and walked out the door.  
  
Strange. She didn't remember even seeing Tadrith walk by the register to pay. He had left straight out the front door. She shrugged again. /Oh well. It's really late, I should get some sleep while I still can./ She headed for the nearest INN, unwillingly remembering back to when she and Cloud had stayed the night together in room #23. It was a sweet night, with a sky as clear as this.. She shook the image out of her head. Approaching the counter, she asked for a single room, for one night.  
  
The old man smiled toothlessly at her. "Room #23, down the hall on the left. That'll be 100 gil, miss." Tifa sighed reluctantly, not about to ask for another room because of her silly memories. She paid, and carrying her things, made her way to the room.  
  
The air was just as she remembered it when she entered it. She locked the door behind her, and looked over at the bed. She sighed again, sadly. Slowly approaching the bed in the center of the room, she weakly lifted the top mattress to reveal a small, red stain. She smiled and started to cry again for the thousandth time. She and Cloud were playing around and accidentally spilled some wine on the mattress. Giggling like little school children, they desperately covered it up by switching the mattresses around.  
  
Tifa slumped on top of the blankets, and cuddling the nearest pillow, she succumbed to the tears that were trying their hardest to come out. She missed Cloud so much...   
  
That night, she slept, sound and deep. No dreams threatened her, yet somewhere around her, she was being watched by a pair of dark, forbidden eyes...  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[A/N: *For the unaware: MIA means Missing in Action. ^.^ The next chapter might take just a little while to put up, but it will eventually get there. Please, review if you have any comments/complaints/flames/ideas/requests/arguments/anything!!!! ::desperate:: o.o!!!!! ] 


	4. Growing Tensions

[A/N: YaY, Fanfiction.net is working again :D I've been harbouring this chapter for a while now, hoping I'd be able to post it soon ^.^ well, don't really have much more to say, 'cept for enjoy! ^.^ v ]  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
The sunlight drifted in hazily through the window through the small part in the large, draping curtain. Tifa's eyes fluttered open lazily as the line of sunlight crossed her eyes with the rising of the sun. She stayed a moment on the soft cushion of the bed, not wanting to leave the warm comfort of her bed. She peered over to her left where Cloud would be sleeping, and sat up quickly in a panicked daze, searching for his missing form. As she gazed about the room and realized that all the events that had happened last night weren't a nightmare, she groaned and slumped back down to her pillow.  
  
She hadn't changed into sleeping clothes that night, she just practically knocked out the moment her head hit the pillow. She didn't mean to; she was planning on staying up and figuring out her situation.  
  
"Oh, well." she sighed to herself. "Better late then never, I guess."  
  
With that, she stretched every muscle possible and threw her legs over the bed, to find her boots waiting for her on the floor.  
  
/Well, at least I had time to take those off./ She slipped the dark red leather boots onto her feet, accepting the comfort they gave. She had them for many years, as a gift from Zanghan. Surprisingly, they had lasted all this time and torture.  
  
She looked around and grabbed her pack, searching through it's contents to make sure she had everything all together. She brushed her hair and tied it back in it's usual fashion, noting how the end split like a fish tail under the tie. She scoffed at how Cloud would remark at it teasingly, and tried to brush it straight.  
  
Yet every time she ran her brush through, it would only seem to get worse. Accepting it as fate, she sighed and tossed the brush away, back into her pack. She decided to wear her gloves today. It had been a while since she'd felt their weight on her wrists. It was time to be reacquainted. She chose the Materia she would equip herself with, and rummaged to find the gloves.  
  
She found the black material that covered her arms underneath the gloves and put them on nostalgically, but for some reason she couldn't find the gloves themselves. She KNEW she packed them, she had double checked before she left the house. Her Premium Hearts were precious to her, she wasn't about to lose them now. She searched all through the room; through the blankets, under the beds, the closet, the tiny bathroom; And as if on cue, there came a knock at the door.  
  
Tifa's heart jumped, wondering if Cloud had come looking for her. She raced to the door, then paused, thinking otherwise. She stretched her arms out and cracked her knuckles, just in case it was someone starting trouble. The knock came again, this time, more impatiently. Tifa readied herself, and cautiously opened the door to a barely visible crack.  
  
"Tadrith?" She carefully opened the door all the way, feeling so many things at once. Confused, upset that her Cloud hadn't come after all, agitated that this creep hadn't left her alone, and relief that it wasn't Hojo back from the dead. /Although if it WAS Hojo, he'd definitely have it coming for him../ A faint smile crossed her lips.  
  
"..return them." Tadrith paused, noticing that Tifa wasn't paying attention. "Tifa?"  
  
Tifa snapped up at him and offered a quick apology for dazing off. She left him no time to reply, she jumped straight into the interrogation. "How did you know what room I was staying in? Is everything alright? If you want me to pay you back for dinner last night, then-"  
  
She was just as quickly cut off by the smile plastered on Tadrith's face and his soft, warm words. "Dinner last night was on me, for the pleasure of your company." He cleared his throat in a polite manner. "And as for why I'm here, I came to return these." He held up a pair of familiar gloves, and Tifa immediately opened the door wider.  
  
"My gloves!" She exclaimed with great relief. /Yet; why does he have them?/  
  
Tadrith peered into the room behind Tifa, and saw the mess she made of her room trying to find her fighting gloves. "My word, were you ransacked?" He asked with a hint of threat in his voice.  
  
Tifa laughed uneasily. "No, no, no. I was just.. Well, looking for these." She reached forward and took her gloves, wishing Tadrith would just disappear. Every time he showed up, something strange happened. Tifa couldn't prove that he was dangerous; he was always very polite and.. Well, there. Not to mention a bit creepy. Still, the reason he had her gloves confused her.  
  
Tifa smiled and proclaimed, "I'd invite you in, but I was just about to leave. I need to freshen up a bit and clean this mess. Thank you for bringing back my gloves. Though.. Where did you find them?"  
  
"You dropped them last night when you bumped into me. I should have given them to you at the moment, I must apologize. I don't know what came over me." His smile was sincere enough, but yet.. His voice lacked something. This man definitely had something missing from him.  
  
Tifa was just about to correspond, when he finished, "I guess I held onto them hoping it would give me an excuse to come see you again." She felt tiny chills run down her spine. It was flattering, sure, but she was just a bit uneasy about everything. Without Cloud around, everything seemed so different. She smiled.  
  
"That's sweet, I'm very flattered." She said, truthfully. She could feel her cheeks redden. Maybe she just had to stop being so defensive of herself. Maybe the man wasn't as odd as he seemed. She assured herself that she was just being paranoid, and decided to lighten up on Tadrith.  
  
"I most likely will drop by here again, to check up on you and tell you how things went on my travels." She said, hoping it would satisfy his ears enough to let him go. His smile grew a bit, warming her heart. He was a very attractive man, and didn't look much older then she. But she didn't know anything about him, she decided to leave it at that.  
  
"Well, then, Tifa," Tadrith said, taking her hand to his lips one last time. "Until next we meet, my fair dove." Tifa blushed greatly as the tall man turned and walked away as is nothing had happened. Tifa stood there a moment, absorbing the event into her mind, and then kicked herself mentally to get a move on.  
  
Slipping her gloves on and gathering her things for the last time in room #23, she closed the door and left the INN. Before walking to her chocobo in the stables, she thought it best to get a little something to eat to start her off. She avoided Heaven's Retreat this time, not wanting to make a third encounter with Tadrith, the mysterious stranger. Instead, she chose a small bar and had some cold breakfast sandwiches, asking for extra for her upcoming travels.  
  
About an hour later, she left for the stables. She was feeling pretty good. The air was crisp and clear, the sun was warm and cheery, and though she was on her own, she felt a sense of pride to be by herself. She only hoped the feeling lasted. She knew it wouldn't be long before her despairs would sink in once more.  
  
She found her way to the stables, to be greeted by a young boy in his early teens. He had a look of distress on his face. As Tifa started for where Blade was being kept, the boy stopped her hesitantly.  
  
"Excuse me, miss?" His eyes darted around in nervous tension. "Um, you wouldn't happened to have stored your chocobo in the singles pen, did you?"  
  
Tifa's heart skipped a beat. "Yes, I did. Last night."  
  
The boy looked scared, as if he was going to get a beating for the news he was about to bring. "It wasn't a Gold Chocobo, was it, m-miss?" He stammered.  
  
Tifa felt her heart drop to her feet. "She's gone, isn't she." She stated, feeling a sense of anger take over.  
  
"'fraid so, ma'am. It was taken in the night. We d-don't know who did it. I'm terribly sorry.."  
  
Tifa smiled at the boy and stopped his worried banter. "It's alright, I know it's not your fault." She could see him take a deep breath of relief.  
  
"We're prepared to compensate you for your loss." He said, a little more confident then before.  
  
"No, that won't be necessary. I'll be fine. Thank you anyway." She felt so damned angry inside, yet her words were cool and sweet. She had loved that bird; it had taken her forever to finally get that Golden Chocobo. It felt like years; finding all the correct foods, the specific breeds, the endless training and racing; You couldn't find a more good natured chocobo then Blade. She was the best. /I hope she pecked the eyes out of the one who took her../  
  
Tifa turned around, fuming on the inside. /What am I going to do now??/ She walked forward, and straight into the body of a very large person. She nearly fell backwards, but strong hands caught her and held her firmly. She gazed up at the stranger, only to see it was..  
  
"Tadrith?"  
  
"I see we meet again," His liquid, practiced words flowed off his tongue. "Even sooner then expected." He smiled.  
  
Tifa sighed, and relaxed slightly as Tadrith let her go slowly, almost reluctantly. "Once again, I'm so sorry."  
  
He laughed softly, his eyes trained on her as if expecting the whole thing to happen. "Make nothing of it. I overheard the whole thing. I'm sorry to hear about your ride."  
  
Tifa sighed deeply. /Why is it that I can't escape this guy? Oh, well. I might as well make the best of his company./ She smiled. "It's alright. I'll just have to find another way to get around. Until then, I guess I'm kind of stuck.." Her words trailed off as she gazed around the town.  
  
"Come to my place." Tadrith stated, plain and simple. Practiced. "I have plenty of room, and you can stay until you discover what you'd like to do, and how." His eyes never left hers.  
  
She felt a bit nervous at those words. She didn't know if she should just throw herself into the company of this strange man. Handsomely strange. /Stop it Tifa! Yes, he's attractive, ok? Very attractive. That doesn't make him a replacement for Clou../ She cut her thoughts off. Reluctantly, she smiled up into his dark eyes.  
  
"Alright. Show me the way."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Cloud took out his PHS as he scrambled to get everything back together. He was up well into the morning, looking for any kind of clues for the whereabouts of Aeris, but to no avail. He had slept in the small cottage of Bone Village for only a handful of gil, but the sleep he gained proved worth it. Surprisingly, he didn't have any of those dreams that night. /Is that a good thing, though? Does that mean I'm close, or that I'm too late?/ He quickened his pace.  
  
Tossing his things back into the chocobo's saddle bag, he clambered effortlessly onto to his awaiting back. He led it to the shore south of the village while he punched the numbers into his PHS phone. He let it ring several times before giving up. Tifa still wouldn't answer. He's called at least seven times through the night, and no reply. Now, she wasn't even there in the afternoon of the next day.  
  
"Something's wrong.." Cloud said aloud to Matrix. The bird warked and peeked back at him, as if in understanding. Cloud patted the chocobo's head, and sighed deeply, despite himself. "We need to go back. I need to see if she's alright."  
  
The chocobo happily kicked into the air, then sped south across the ocean, back towards their home. But as their direction changed, Cloud's mind became invaded with the image of Aeris. He clenched his forehead and leaned forward against the chocobos neck, squeezing shut his bright blue eyes. He focused on Aeris and everything around her, trying to see if there was anything he could recognize, but as always, she was surrounded by the green mist.  
  
"Aeris.." He groaned in pain. Her face.. It was different this time. Instead of exhibiting the calm, happy expression she always wore, there was something like worry in her eyes. She seemed to beckon him, as if in a hurry. Her image wavered, as if about to disappear. Cloud opened his eyes and sat up quickly, almost throwing himself off of the chocobo. Matrix slowly came to a stop and looked back at him, his feet drifting on top of the calm waters.  
  
"Shit!" Cloud cried, flustered.  
  
"Wark?" His feather's ruffled, as if confused.  
  
Cloud patted the silly thing and fed it some more Mimmette Greens. "I don't know what to do, Matrix. I think time is running short. Aeris seems to be getting distressed.. Maybe because I'm leaving the north?" He paused, thinking about it. "So that must mean she's up here, then." He sighed deeply, feeling his muscles droop. "But Tifa.. Something's wrong with her. She wouldn't just disappear like that."  
  
The golden bird cocked his head to the side, his gaze still focused intently on the young man's features, as if waiting for orders. "Wark."  
  
Cloud smiled and pet it's beak. "Tifa. We're almost there. I'll check up on her really quick, and then we can come back to find Aeris, hopefully before it's too late."  
  
Matrix kicked into the air, agreeing to the plan. "But we'll need to do this in double time," Cloud continued, holding on for dear life, not wanting to be kicked into the cold depths of the ocean that they were so precariously perched on. "You think you could handle it?" Cloud patted the bird again, reaching for more Mimmette Greens. "You're one of the top champions in the Gold Saucer races. You up to proving your skills again?" Cloud knew he didn't even need to say it. His Matrix was up to anything.  
  
He fed the already hyped bird a large handful of Mimmette Greens, and with another thrilled jump kick, they were both off towards their home. Cloud clung on tightly, praying for Tifa's safety. "Tifa.. Please be alright.. I couldn't bear to lose you, too."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Her magnificent crimson eyes looked around the room with astonishment. Her breath had been literally taken away at the sheer size of it all.  
  
"When you say you have extra room, you really mean it." She breathed.  
  
Tadrith smiled, closing the door behind him, never taking his gaze off of her slender form. "You are welcome here, anytime you wish, milady." He took a couple steps forward, and watched her admire the mansion she had stepped foot into. /I finally have her within my grasp../  
  
Tifa whirled around and looked at him. "What do you do? I mean, to own a mansion of this scale and.. Well, magnificence!"   
  
Tadrith chuckled lightly and stepped forward, placing a hand on her back. "Come. Let me show you to your room. Then, if you'd like, I'll personally give you a grande tour." His smile was warm. Perfected.  
  
Tifa smiled, a little apprehensive, not knowing if she should even be here in the first place. But she gave in, knowing that she'd be leaving as soon as she found some transportation. /Marlene's gonna love hearing about this!/ She thought, excitedly. /That's all this is. Just another part of my 'adventure'./  
  
Tadrith led her up the grand staircase that centered the spacious room. It's rails were made of the finest wood, and it's intricately detailed designs were of deep crimson, black and gold. A crystal chandelier hung high above her head, perfectly in the center of the room, just before the staircase. She tenderly took a step up, almost as if the house was made of a thin slate of glass.  
  
Tadrith smiled. "It's quite alright. Everything you see here is crafted of the finest materials. You can be rest assures that nothing will crumble to our touch." They made their way up the stairs, Tifa still gaping in awe at the beauty of this man's home.  
  
"And as to your question," He continued. "You could say I inherited this pace. From a.. Ah, wealthy kinsman."  
  
Tifa looked up into his eyes, sending a chill down his spine. /Those gorgeous eyes../  
  
"You mean, you don't work at all?" She questioned.  
  
"Yes, I do. Meager work, though. Basically research." They reached the top of the long flight of stairs. They were then faced with a long hallway, stretching to the left and right of them. Tadrith, with his hand still placed on Tifa's back, led her to the right. "You're room is this way."  
  
Tifa gazed around at the large hallways, ended at both sides with a towering, arched window plated with gold sills and rich crimson, black and gold velvet curtains. "This is nothing like out mansion in Nibelheim." She exclaimed just above a whisper, mainly to herself.  
  
Tadrith heard. "Miss?"  
  
Tifa sucked in a quick breath, not meaning to let that slip out. But it was too late now; time to explain herself as discretely as possible. "We live in the Nibelheim mansion, of course, in Nibelheim." She looked away from his pondering gaze. "We moved in there after the whole dilemma with Seph.. With Meteor."  
  
Tadrith looked away for the first time, a frown now placed upon his lips. His brain was working over something, but what, she didn't know.  
  
"Didn't it used to be called the Shin-Ra mansion?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah. We.. Nobody calls it that anymore. So we just call it the Nibelheim mansion." She responded, kicking herself mentally for all the words she stumbled on. She was supposed to be discrete about everything, but this man intimidated her so, making her a tad bit nervous in his presence. Especially alone, in his house.  
  
"Why on earth would you want to move into a haunted, erratic, faltering place like that?" He continued, his practiced voice flowing easily, dramatically.  
  
"We mainly moved to protect the hidden la..the History of the house. We fixed it up. There were some left over monsters dwelling inside, but we cleaned them all out. It looks completely different now, newly furnished and polished, and some rooms remodeled."  
  
Tadrith seemed to flinch at those words. But he had heard enough. He heard what he wanted to know. His smile took place on his handsome features again and his dark eyes pointed her to the large door they had stopped in front of. "This, my dear Tifa, is your room." He opened the door and heard Tifa gasp again, making his heart melt at the sound.  
  
"Oh my god.." She tenderly stepped forward into the huge bedroom that was now hers. The ceiling was decorated with a smaller crystal chandelier in the center, a high, arched window with curtains of lavender and soft gold. On the wall to the far left was her bed, a king-size, no doubt, with high, decorated posts at all four corners, and a soft lavender sheet draped around the top, hanging beautifully around the large plump pillows and matching lavender and soft gold blanket. Across from the magnificent bed was a great dresser, topped with a large, full-length mirror that folder in three ways to see every angle of ones self.  
  
"I'll let you be acquainted." Tadrith said as he backed out slowly, closing the door, never leaving his eyes off of Tifa.  
  
"This is MY room.." Tifa breathed in astonishment. She threw her stuff on the stand next to her bed, and jumped onto the pillows and blankets, feeling giddy as a little girl. "This is amazing!" She flipped onto her back, gazing around the well furnished room. The feeling didn't last, as she soon remembered her situation. She hoped to god this man was only be sincere; she knew she'd better make her stay here short. She didn't want to cause any more trouble than she already had. She couldn't help but become attached to the house, though. It was simply gorgeous.  
  
"I bet Vincent would feel at home, here." She whispered to herself, remembering the mysteriousness of her dear friend. She remembered all her friends, and wondered how she would explain this to all of them. And Cloud..  
  
She sat up abruptly, and headed for the door. /Let's get this overnighter over with./ She opened the door and peeked into the hallway, only to see Tadrith approaching with his usual, attractive smile.  
  
"Ah, just in time." He said casually, and held out his arm. Tifa apprehensively wrapped hers around it, feeling how muscular the man was. She blushed slightly to herself, and walked along with Tadrith on the beginning tour of his wonderful mansion. She looked down nonchalantly at his hand, and saw that his sleeve was pulled up a little from her arm being wrapped around it. On the top of his hand, she could see small scratches plastered across his skin. Her eyebrows nit together in confusion, wondering what he would be doing to obtain those. He didn't strike her as an outdoors type of person.  
  
But as Tadrith's melodic voice began to flow, she soon forgot it, listening intently on all that he had to say.  
  
And so began the tour of his mansion; if only he had shown her -everything.-  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[Next chapter coming soon ^.^ please review if ya have the time ^^; you have no idea how much i love it! ^.^ ] 


	5. Tick Tock

[A/N: FINALLY got to update!! I'm so sorry to those of you who've been with me from the beginning on this, I know it's been a long while sinve I've been able to update. Midterms are next week, so I've been up to my chin in work, so getting this thing going has been pretty tough. Thanks for all your patience though! I, for one, appreciate it greatly. ^.^ As for the story, the kind of person I made Tadrith after was kinda like Johnny Depp (if thats how you spell it ^^;) (And for those who don't know, this sexy man is the main guy from the movie Sleepy Hollow. For a correct visual, though, think of him from The Ninth Gate. ^.^) ANYWAYS. On with the story! :D )  
  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
A drop of sweat trickled down Cloud's forehead as he fished for the PHS in the saddlebag. /Where is she? Please tell me she's safe at a friends.../ His fingers calmly dialed in the number of one of his close friends and AVALANCHE members.  
  
"'Ello?" Came a gruff, deep voice through the earpiece of the small PHS.  
  
"Barret! Is Tifa there with you guys?" Cloud asked, trying to keep a cool persona, trying not to panic.  
  
"Nope. Jus' me an' Marlene. Is everything awright Cloud?"  
  
"I don't know.. I can't find Tifa. Barret, do me a favor please, call the others and ask if she's around. I gotta go, sorry, but I feel like I'm on a strict time limit here." Cloud replied, feeling the adrenalin rise in his body.  
  
Barret sensed Cloud's distress and complied right away. "You got it."  
  
With that, they both hung up and Cloud mounted his chocobo, who awaited breathlessly in the back yard of their Nibelheim home. Cloud's mind was racing, he felt so horribly lost and confused, panicked and worried. Tifa was gone and Aeris was calling for him, relentlessly, with only a small bit of time to find her. If he left to find Tifa, he'd lose the chance to talk to Aeris, maybe for the rest of his life, yet, if he went to look for Aeris instead, and if Tifa was in trouble....   
  
Cloud pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling the stress and worry eating away at his mind. /I can't let it get to me. Tifa never gave up on me when I was in trouble. Besides, she's probably alright. She has her fighting gloves, AND her fighting skills.. With all she's been through, what could get to her now?/   
  
Cloud wrestled with the idea, trying to convince himself that everything was alright. He longed for any bit of comfort he could find, searching for a way to solve this situation he found himself in.  
  
/I'll just wait for Barret to call. I'm sure she's with someone she trusts.. She just needed to get away for a while, that's all./ His mind confided.  
  
/Yeah. Get away from me./ His heart told him. The feeling struck him hard as he remembered the way he had been treating her the last few months. Cloud grasped at the reigns of the Chocobo and led him to the Nibelheim mountains, wondering if he'd find any evidence of his lost love.  
  
He pushed all guilt aside, telling himself that he'd have to wait for that. Right now the two people who meant the most to him needed him, and he silently swore to himself that he would find them both, well, before it was too late.  
  
"Ok, Matrix. Let's go."   
  
The golden chocobo warked and kicked to a trot towards the perilous wooden bridge. Just before reaching the edge, Cloud felt a familiar presence inside his mind. He closed his eyes, beckoning the image to come, and soon saw Aeris, as he always had. He stopped the chocobo and concentrated all his energy on the young girl, trying his hardest to contact her somehow. He studied her face, which seemed unnaturally wrought with worry. Her voice called to him, but still in the completely unfathomable echo inside his ears. He watched her pretty pink lips, studied their movements, and snapped his eyes open quickly, losing her image. He had been able to read one word.  
  
Hurry.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa returned to her overly exaggerated room to find a velvet crimson and black gown on her bed. She gasped inwardly, placing a delicate hand to her lips as she walked slowly to the beautiful clothing. Her eyes trailed back to Tadrith, who stood in the frame of the large doorway, smiling at her.  
  
"For tonight." He said smoothly, his voice never ceased it's deep melody.  
  
"Tonight?" Tifa breathed in wonder.  
  
"Yes. I was hoping you would join me for dinner. I have asked the cooks to prepare a special meal for tonight, particularly to fit a beautiful dove, such as yourself."  
  
Tifa felt the heat rise in her cheeks, unknowing as to how to reply. She ran her fingers over the soft fabric, admiring it's shape and color. So many emotions were flowing through her, prominently fear. She didn't know how to react to this situation. Everything was happing way too fast, leaving her mind spinning in confusion. She wanted to get away from this place, but she was attracted to it, as well.   
  
Tadrith stepped away, reaching a muscular arm out to close the door. "I shall leave you to get ready, my lady." He nodded politely and stepped out, closing the massive door behind him, quietly.  
  
Tifa tenderly picked the gown up, holding it as if it were as delicate as a dew dropped spider web. She stepped over to the full mirror with the look of awe on her face that seemed to have remained there since she entered this house. She held the dress up to her and examined it's features in the reflection.   
  
"It's.. it's gorgeous."   
  
She took her time putting it on. She felt as if it was a daring act, as if it would trap her and swallow her whole if she put it on. After some mental preparation, she finally managed to slip into it.  
  
It was even more beautiful when she put it on. It was form fitting, and fit perfectly around her waist and hips, hanging slimly down past her ankles in dark crimson folds. It hung on her shoulders in delicate black lace straps, and around her chest was more intricate black lace, embroidered with delicate black roses. She pulled on the sleek, black velvet gloves that came almost all the way up her arms, just like her own pair. /Except these are made for beauty, not for inflicting damage./ She almost winced at the feeling of being unarmed, and in a strange place to boot.  
  
She pulled her hair up and suspended it beautifully, a couple wisps of hair falling around her face and shoulders. A pair of onyx, tear drop shaped earrings awaited her on the dresser, and she adorned them with care. She slipped her feet carefully into the crimson dress shoes that matched her gown, also inlayed with black roses.  
  
She felt herself blush when she looked into the mirror at her final glance. /If only Cloud were here to see me../ Her mind thought, selflessly. Tifa sighed and looked away from herself. She walked carefully to the bed and sat down. She felt a little guilty for wearing the dress. She didn't plan on staying for very much longer, and Tadrith was treating her with such care and delicacy. She probably shouldn't be doing this, she definitely didn't want the tall, dark haired man to get the wrong idea. She almost felt as if she were taking advantage of him for his luxury.  
  
At that moment, a knock lifted her from her thoughts.  
  
"Ms. Lockheart?" Came the familiar baritone voice.   
  
Tifa stood up just in time for the door to open, and Tadrith stepped in. His eyes almost seemed to water at her beauty as he drank in her image.  
  
"You're absolutely astonishing, Tifa. You shame the very night stars themselves." He exclaimed calmly, smoothly.  
  
Tifa smiled under the crimson lipstick she was wearing. Tadrith felt his heart skip a beat; He wasn't lying about what he said. His eyes wondered over her body and felt his own heat rise. She was almost unreal.  
  
Tadrith himself was dressed for the most informal occasion in a black suit, clean and pressed, with a crimson neck tie. His hair was slicked back, as always, his cleanly shaven features as stark and handsome as the dark stranger he was. His dark eyes twinkled as he held his arm out to Tifa.  
  
She came to him hesitantly, and wrapped her gloved arm around his muscular one. Tadrith never took his eyes off of her, and led her away to the dining area.  
  
Tifa felt a little vulnerable, and her heart was definitely not as calm as it should be. He was absolutely gorgeous; extremely rich, and most likely had a crush on her. (She tried to convince herself it was merely a "crush", not wanting to accept all other possibilities.) She decided that she would confront Tadrith tonight. She already planned to give all her thanks for everything, but that she would be leaving tomorrow.   
  
It would be simple, really.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Just as he was about to make his way across the creaky wooden bridge, the PHS rang, loud and clear. Cloud jumped unexpectedly and reached for it in the already open pouch.  
  
"Hello?" His panic was not as concealed as it was before.  
  
"Cloud.." It was Cid. His gruff pilot's voice was anything but unrecognizable. "Tifa's not here." He said, getting straight to the point. He hated beating around the bush, and he knew Cloud wanted it straight forward.  
  
Cloud sighed deeply, feeling his heart drop. Cid continued. "We contacted everyone she knows, an' no luck. Sorry Cloud. We're gonna keep pullin' an hope we find her, so don't worry too much."  
  
Cloud nodded to himself n mumbled a stressed thanks, rubbing at his pounding temples.  
  
Cid smiled outwardly, knowing his friend's distress. "She's a smart girl, Cloud. She'll be ok. No matter what the situation might be, you're Tifa'll take care of herself. We'll find her, I promise ya."  
  
It was almost odd to hear such kind, condoling words from such a stained dirty mouth, and it made Cloud smile. "Thanks Cid. I appreciate the help."  
  
"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Cid beamed. Then the sound of a small explosion sounded in the background, followed by the heavy sigh from the old pilot. "Godammit, Shera, I thought I told ya not to touch that damn thing!" A soft, feminine voice could be heard in reply. "Sorry Captain, sir!"  
  
"Sorry Cloud, I gotta go. Don't go stressin' yourself out too much. Everything'll be just fine. Besides, even if ya don't find her, you could always move in with me." He let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I might not be the most snuggable person you know," He raised his voice so Shera could hear too. "But at least you'd be less clumsy than that damn Shera!"  
  
Cloud couldn't help but laugh. "No thanks, Cid. I think I'll pass."  
  
Cid faked his hurt feelings. "Aw, Cloud, now that struck deep. I could always shave my chin, maybe I'd be more snuggable for ya then." The sound of Cid being hit could be heard, very clearly. "Ow! Hey now, Shera, you know I was only kiddin'." She only replied with a sturdy "hmph."  
  
"It's ok, though, Cloud. I can take your rejection." Cid sniffed in an overly sarcastic, hurt manner. "But seriously. Take it easy, Cloud. You'll find her soon, just don't overdo yerself. You've had enough of that."  
  
"Thanks, Cid. I'll take that advice." Cloud put the phone back into it's pouch and sighed, looking out across the bridge. He wished he could tell Cid about Aeris, so far only Tifa had known about his endless nights. He didn't want the pilot to worry too much, though. He had enough to worry about with Shera, from the sounds of it. Cid was wanting to propose to her, but could never really bring himself to it. Cloud hoped Cid wouldn't be a fool let the moment pass him by.  
  
/I shouldn't be a fool and let Tifa pass me by, either./ He thought, matter of factly. With new confidence stirring within him, he offered Matrix some fresh Mimmette Greens and headed forward across the rope bridge. His mind was cluttered with thoughts. The last image he had seen of Aeris was a bit disturbing, he had never seen her face distressed like it was. And the way she was beckoning him to hurry.  
  
And then Tifa.. He thought back at the letter she had left behind for him, and thought about where she might have gone. /What if she decided to come with me?/ His mind perked at this new thought. /What if she came following me in hopes of coming along?/ In a way, it didn't make sense, wouldn't she have come along with him to begin with? /Maybe she followed me quietly so she would make sure I was alright.. After the way I've been treating her, I wouldn't blame her for keeping her distance. Well, whatever the reason, it's as good a place to begin as any. At least I now have a place to start./   
  
He would head back to the Northern region, after all that's the most sensible place to go. He would search to see if she had followed him there. Cloud was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the strange groan that the bridge gave out. Matrix sensed it, and begin to fluff his feathers slightly in worry, his large head and eyes searching around in quick, jerking motions. The bridge groaned again under stress of their weight and began to shift. Matrix warked and Cloud finally came to attention.   
  
Cloud grabbed on tightly to Matrix and shouted in a quick panic, "Matrix! Go now! GO!"   
  
The bird hardly waited, he leaned his weight forward and stretched out it's oddly short wings for balance and kicked on the back burners, running as fast as he could. The poor bird had a hard time keeping his footing on the bridge as it wobbled violently from side to side. Cloud closed his eyes and silently prayed that they would make it as he heard the faint noise of the ropes finally giving in and snapping.  
  
"Shit!! Run Matrix!! Go!"  
  
Matrix was trying his hardest to stay balanced, but to no avail, with only 20 feet to go, the bridge gave out completely, and for the third time in his lifetime, the bridge to Mount Nibelheim collapsed.  
  
All that could be heard was the yelling of a distressed man and the feeble cries of the chocobo as they plummeted to the rocky bottom of the gorge.  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[A/N: For those who aren't sure, NO, Cid is NOT gay. ^.^ He's just trying to loose the tension Cloud's having. This whole thing's gonna start picking up soon, hehe, you'll see what I mean when it happens. ^.^ I hope I'm doing a good enough job for you guys out there, I really wanna give something that you guys'll like. Something fresh. Well, I'm gonna end it here and start on the next chapter. Thanks to EVERYONE who reads, your time means everything to me. And for those who give their time back by reviewing, many thanks to you! ] 


	6. Intentions Revealed

[A/N: YaY! Next chapter ^.^ It's a bit short, but, oh well. :p I wanna ask: What does AU stand for? I sortta kinda know what it means.. judging by the kind of stories it's in... but.. well, you know. Thanks ^^; Read on, dear reader!!]  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
They had all gathered at Cid's house upon request. Shera had volunteered to watch Marlene while the rest discussed what to do. Yuffie was yet to arrive, and Red XII was just walking in when Barret demanded loudly, waving his fist in the air, "Ok, now, jus' what the hell is goin' on here?"  
  
Cid looked over at the large, distressed man and puffed calmly on his cigarette. They were all sitting in the largely remodeled living room, where they sometimes lounged on better occasions.  
  
"Tifa's missing." He said, bluntly. "And somethin's up with Cloud that he ain't telling us."  
  
The all looked at him, their gazes all asking the same question, waiting for Cid to continue. He breathed deeply, inhaling the bittersweet smoke into his lungs, seeking relief of stress from the thick, gray cloud. "When I talked to him earlier, he was definitely stressed out about somethin'. Wether somethin' far worse is wrong with Tifa, or Hojo has returned from the grave, I dunno."  
  
Barret slammed his meaty fist on his lap, causing the others to wince at just the thought of how painful that might of felt. "That damn Cloud! Don't he know by now he can trust us?"  
  
"It is something more than that, I think." Red stated, his tail twitching side to side as his mind pondered the possibilities. "It is more than likely something personal, that he would rather handle himself, or that he thinks he can handle himself, at least." His golden feline eyes flickered with intellect as he examined the faces of the others, watching them think it over.  
  
He continued. "If it was something as bad as the return of Hojo, as you so brilliantly pulled out, Cid," Red shot a glance at Cid, (who then stuck his tongue out in defiant return,) "Then he would have no doubt contacted us. Something that great in scale happening surely could not have been handled alone."  
  
Yuffie, who had walked in a moment ago and obviously heard Red's statement, added, "Then where's Tifa? She would have definitely gone with him, I mean, come on! She's nuts about him!" She plopped herself down on the arm of the sofa next to Cid. "She just disappeared, and Cloud's not stupid enough to just let that happen." She arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "At least I hope not."  
  
The sound of a deep, melancholy yet melodious voice startled the group from the shadows in the back of the room. "She left him. Unexpectedly."  
  
Everyone turned their gazes back towards Vincent, who was casually leaning against the wall, shocked at what the former Turk had just said.  
  
"What? Don't be stupid." Yuffie piped bluntly.  
  
Vincent stepped forward, crossing his arms. "Think about it. From the sound of it, Cloud hasn't a clue as to when, where, and why she's gone. He is also under a lot of stress from something rather personal, correct?"  
  
He paused dramatically to let his words sink in, then continued, making his voice prominently sink into their minds. "The most reasonable explanation would be Aeris. He's still consumed by her, even in death, and Tifa possibly couldn't take it any longer." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, silently mourning over his own loss from long ago.  
  
Yuffie's eyes widened. "But they've looked so happy here lately!"  
  
"No, I think he might be right." Cid added, stroking his stubbly chin with a gloved hand, his cigarette already down to the filter. He'd smoke that too, dammit, with all the stuff going on right now. "I noticed a sadness in Tifa's eyes. It makes sense, too, as much as I don't want it too, dammit."  
  
"Then we gotta find her." Barret said. "She shoulda come to one 'o us. I don't understand why she didn't." He sighed heavily, feeling helpless for only the second time in his life. "We gotta find her." He repeated.  
  
Cid stood up and walked readily out the door. "I'll get the Highwind goin'. We'll let Cloud handle his own fuckin' problems. Meanwhile, let's find Tifa.  
  
The group all stood up, mentally preparing themselves for yet another search, hoping it would provide to be as fruitful as the others had.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
The dining room was absolutely magnificent. It's high, arched ceiling was adorned with a beautiful crystal chandelier, and the three arched windows lining only the western wall were draped heavily with velvet curtains. The large, oak table was dressed with candles and an intricate cloth, both housed with food beyond imaginable splendor.  
  
Tadrith folded his hands and looked across the table at the astonishing woman sitting across from him. His eyes sparkled with dark interest, examining Tifa's fascination.  
  
Tifa felt all the uncomfortable feelings she once contained drain away. The room was fairly dim, with only the light of the candles, and the food was magnificent. She daintily tasted a little of each substance, not wanting to miss out on anything before her. She retained her manners, however, and politely smiled and complimented each dish of wonderful food.  
  
Tadrith hardly ate. He sipped at his red wine every other moment, just watching Tifa and her love for the food before her. He could clearly see that she was more relaxed then before. Perhaps it was the wine, but that was planned ahead of time. Tadrith smiled in spite of himself. Everything was working perfectly.  
  
After some sampling of the dishes around her, Tifa paused and remembered what it is she wanted to say about leaving. She mentally kicked herself for letting herself get as side tracked as she had.  
  
She cleared her throat and looked up into Tadrith's eyes, which sparkled with an amusement of some kind. "Tadrith, I really appreciate all of this." She started, and watched as he nodded politely in acceptance.  
  
"Anything for you, my dear, young lady."   
  
Tifa smiled, feeling the nervous tension rise in the pit of her stomach once again. "But I must remind you that I'll be leaving tomorrow." She watched.  
  
Tadrith hardly flinched, hardly moved. He kept that smile, and his eyes still sparkled darkly, yet he said nothing.  
  
Tifa looked away, feeling more uncomfortable, and decided to change the subject for the time being. "So, how did you come to live in such a beautiful place like this?"  
  
Tadrith leaned forward a little more, smiling. "I inherited all this from my family. They experienced a.. Ah, tragic end recently, and left me and a couple others with a grand fortune. I designed this house, actually. I'm somewhat of an architect. I design many places of many kinds."  
  
Tifa's eyes clouded with concern. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your family."  
  
Tadrith smiled and closed his eyes at her perfection. She was truly an angel. "I thank you for your condolence. In a way, they deserved what was coming to them."  
  
Tifa's expression was then overcome by confusion. Tadrith smiled even more and changed the subject. "So, you have lived in Nibelheim all your life?"  
  
"Well, almost. When.. Something happened in my town, I moved to Midgar and spent a couple years working there. Just recently I moved back." She averted her eyes momentarily, remembering back on her life. But she moved on, remembering how Tadrith's eyes glistened when she mentioned the Shin-Ra Mansion earlier.  
  
"So, how is it that you know the Shin-Ra Mansion in Nibelheim?" She inquired.  
  
Tadrith's smile grew slightly at her intelligent discovery. He closed his eyes for a moment, and thought about his answer. He was prepared for this, he was very prepared. When he opened his eyes again, his smile dimmed slightly and he narrowed his gaze on her.  
  
"I designed and built that house."  
  
Tifa's eyes grew wide at the sudden realization. She gasped silently as the thoughts sunk into her mind, ideas racing through her mind. Tadrith paused to let her think about it.  
  
/If he designed it, then.. He must know about the secret lab in the basement?/ She mentally scoffed. /Of course he knows, he built the damn place. He must also know about the stuff that went on in there.. The experiments of Hojo's.. The deformed bodies of people that were stored in the forbidden reactor... of... Jenova.../  
  
"My name is Tadrith D. Shin-Ra. I am the nephew of the late President Shin-Ra's father. Which makes me-"  
  
"Which makes you Rufus' second cousin.." Tifa trailed.  
  
"-Yes. Rufus' second cousin. And a very high-status member of the corporation. I helped greatly in the designing of many new technological apparatuses in the Shin-Ra building, which aided Hojo quite nicely in his obsessive raise to glory. He especially liked the lab I created for him under the Shin-Ra Mansion. It pleased him so much that he used me for the first person to be given a greater life span." He grinned darkly. "He slowed the aging process within my body. I have since been able to carry out the family legacy, on my own."  
  
He cast his gaze up at Tifa and studied her face. He expected to see horror in her eyes, but was surprised to see her composed and calm. She didn't run, or try to escape. She merely looked him in the eyes.  
  
/I can't show him fear,/ Tifa thought to herself. /If I remain calm, maybe he won't act. Just.. Stay focused./ "That must be a lonely life.." She said, unsurely.  
  
Tadrith closed his eyes. "Indeed."  
  
Tifa folded her napkin on the table. "I.. I think I'll go to my room now." She said, trying to sound like she was alright, as if she wasn't disgusted. She didn't want to know this man's plans.  
  
She stood slowly, only to be grabbed by Tadrith who had suddenly appeared behind her in a mad dash. He gripped her arm tightly, causing her to call out in surprised pain. Tadrith pushed his face close to hers, clicking his tongue in her ear.  
  
"Now, now, my dove." He whispered softly. "You didn't think I'd be letting you leave so early, now, did you? After all that I've told you?" His voice remained deep and smooth, very calm, as if he were sure everything would work as planned.  
  
Tifa tried to twist her arm away as her fighting instincts started to kick in, but Tadrith pulled her close to him, pressing her back against his chest and wrapping both of his strong arms around her, trapping her indefinitely. The gown she was wearing was too dammed long and tight for her to kick, and she cursed at herself for falling for the trap.  
  
Tadrith kept his mouth close to her ear, sending disgusted pulses down through her skin. "Mmmm... You're mine now, Tifa. I'm not to be a lonely successor any more. Now that I have my dove here with me."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
/Get up!/  
  
Cloud rubbed his aching head and looked around. He and his chocobo had luckily landed on a very sandy area below the fallen bridge. If they were to have landed anywhere on the rocks, whose to say he would even be in one piece right now. Before sitting up, Cloud fumbled for his mastered restore materia and mumbled a faint "Cure3" on himself. He felt the restorative energy surround and envelope his body, and within moments, felt much better.  
  
He looked over to Matrix, who was crumpled up next to him in a matted pile of dusty feathers.  
  
"Matrix!" Cloud called out, hoping the bird was alright. He seemed to be breathing, but was knocked out, cold. Cloud grabbed the nearest Phoenix Down among the rest of the scattered items and cast it onto the weary broken bird, who immediately sat up in a dizzying manner. Cloud cast another "Cure3" on Matrix, restoring him back to full power.   
  
After the quick rush, Cloud fell back onto the ground, feeling beyond lucky to still be alive. He remembered vaguely how a familiar feminine voice beckoned him to consciousness. He smiled to himself and whispered to no one in particular, "Thank you, Aeris."  
  
After saying her name, he quickly sat up, remembering his mission. He gathered all the items and such that had fallen and scattered on the ground during the fall, and fed the shambled Matrix some of the remaining Mimmette Greens. After everything was back together, Cloud steered his chocobo to the direction of the Northern Continent, once again.  
  
"Alright Matrix. Let's try this again."  
  
Matrix warked happily in response, steering his sense of direction to the right place. "Wark."  
  
"And... let's try to avoid bridges at all costs this time."  
  
"WARK!!"  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[Ah hah! Johnny Depp's look-a-like finally revealed himself!! YaY! What's gonna happen now!! Stay tuned for the next, all new exciting episode of Dragon Ball Z! (or in this case.. Strife of a Locked Heart!) ... o.0 please excuse me, I'm very tired, and very out of it. -.- ] 


	7. Cascading Ebony

[A/N: Ok, 'nother short chapter. But it'll have to do, for now. The next one coming up should most definitely be longer, for you're entertainment purpouses ^.^ Anyways, it's late, I'm tired, read on. ^0^ ]  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
The air began to chill, little by little, the closer to the northern continent they got. Matrix only stopped once to drink from a fresh pool of water, revitalizing his much needed and spent energy. Cloud would have slept, after all he hadn't had even a wink within the last couple days. He had spent all his time searching. He didn't expect anything of this nature to happen. He felt pressured and confused.. And so alone.  
  
He scoffed at himself. He had been alone pretty much all of his life, you'd think he'd be used to it by now, but he wasn't. After being in Tifa's company for so long, he finally felt what it was like to be needed. After a childhood of isolation, then years in the militant company of Shin-Ra trying to become someone he was not, he had pretty much given up on socialization. He supposed that all this time he really did need someone, it just didn't come out so well. It was a feeling he was still adjusting to, but he wanted it.  
  
/Please be here, Tifa.. Please../ He thought ineptly.  
  
Matrix finally came upon the beach leading to the excavation site, known as Bone Village. He sighed a breath of relief, glad to be off of the unstable tide of the ocean. Matrix was just as relieved, walking across water was definitely -not- as easy as it seemed. He clawed his way onto the soft sand and slowed to a quick walk towards the thick jungle that surrounded the Bone Village dig site. Just as the little place came into view, a familiar sensation took over Cloud's mind, only this time it was strong and distressing. Cloud clutched his head, squinting his eyes shut tightly as the images seared through his brain.  
  
It became overwhelming, and Cloud doubled over, falling off of Matrix in a helpless -thud-. The frightened chocobo warked and nudged at the crumbled man, as if to summon him back up again. Cloud, though, could not.  
  
His mind became enveloped in green light. It was bright and warm, yet empty and alone at the same time. From it, he sensed the feelings of sorrow and distress, happiness and fright, anger and discouragement, all flooding into him at once. It was a very familiar sensation, one that he could never forget. It was that of the Lifestream.  
  
Cloud tried to focus his thoughts, trying to escape from this emerald hell, when all of a sudden two eyes manifested from the light, almost perfectly matching the green surroundings. More grew from the eyes, a face shaped behind them with small pink lips and chestnut hair. Her image was wavering.  
  
/Aeris../ Cloud tried to reach out to her with his mind. He knew her time was fading. /Please wait.. I'll find you, just hold on a little bit longer, please try!/   
  
In response, the young girl closed her eyes and nodded her head, soon dissipating into the atmosphere of his mind. Cloud immediately opened his eyes, sweat trickling down his forehead as he picked himself up, and without thinking, ran for the Sleeping Forest.  
  
One of the excavation workers saw Cloud run past in a blur, and tried to shout out a warning before he went into the mysterious forest. When he was ignored, he sighed heavily and shook his head.  
  
"Damn kids. They just don't know what this place is all about."  
  
"What's wrong, Mike? Did another one slip in there?"  
  
"Yeah. I don't know what they're up to these days. I only hope he doesn't get lost. This place will mercilessly swallow you whole."  
  
The other man furrowed his brows together in thought, and after a moment of consideration, said, "Hey, ya think he has anything to do with that girl in pink?"  
  
The one called Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. If he does, I hope he finds her. She's been wandering around alone in there for who knows how long now."  
  
After that, there was only silence as the two men began there abysmal work once more.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
"Let go of me, you filthy pig!" Tifa growled as she struggled beneath the grip of Tadrith's strong arms. "I swear to God if I get loose.."  
  
Tadrith let out a snide chuckle. "Hush, my dear. That won't be happening anytime soon."  
  
Tifa's skin was practically crawling just by touching this man. He continued to drag her to a large room somewhere beneath where Tifa's room had originally been. Tadrith pressed a few numbers on a metal panel by the door, too quickly for her to observe, and a metal whirring noise could be heard. Within seconds, the door opened to what appeared to be another bedroom. It looked almost identical to hers from before, only it had no windows and the main colors were crimson and black. Tadrith effortlessly shoved her into the oversized place, a placid smile plastered onto his chiseled features.  
  
She wanted to smack it off. With her shoe.  
  
"You'll be staying here for the time being, my precious dove. I shouldn't be too long gone, you see, I have some short business to attend to." He smiled wider with absolute glee. "Don't dirty up the place too much; there's no means of escape, so it's useless even considering it." He closed the door, trapping her inside to wait for who knows how long, for who knows what.  
  
She slammed on the door with her fist, yelling after Tadrith at the top of her lungs. She knew it was pointless; he was probably laughing at her right now. She threw herself onto the king-sized bed and punched one of the pillows, bursting it at the seams, sending black down feathers floating into the air.  
  
/How could I be so Damn stupid!/ She scolded herself. /I knew I shouldn't of followed him here! I was too damn busy trying to keep myself occupied from Cloud. And now he's gone, without even a clue as to where I am, looking for a woman who is already DEAD, who is torturing him in his dreams for him to find her.. Nobody knows where I am... I'm completely defenseless and alone.. And this retarded psychopath who's probably nearly a hundred years old wants me to become his beloved wife./ She sighed, feeling too damned angry to cry.  
  
Just then, she heard a familiar cry. It was faint, but clear.. Tifa's eyes widened as she realized who it belonged to.  
  
"Blade.." She whispered. She remembered the fresh cuts on Tadrith's hands as he lead her around his house. "The fucking bastard!!" She thought about that night in the hotel, about how while she was sleeping, Tadrith was out capturing her chocobo. He was setting her up all this time, luring her closer and closer to his unavoidable clutches. She clenched her fists until it hurt.  
  
"If he's messing with her right now..." She paused. "I hope she peck's his fucking eyes out." She didn't care that her time spent around Cid was finally catching up with her. She was too angry and spiteful. She was more angry with herself, and just plain disgusted with Tadrith Shin-Ra.  
  
She punched another delicate pillow, sending another feathery cascade of soft, black down. /How could I be so stupid. I was so upset over leaving Cloud that I didn't focus, I didn't think. Now I'm in a no-win situation. I'm stuck./ She sighed and thought about Cloud, as she always had. /He's probably having the time of his life right now. I wonder if he.. Finally found her.. I.. I hope he's happy./  
  
She would have cried if she had anymore tears left. Cloud's gone and happy, and her life of misery was just beginning. She trailed her fingers over the down, admiring their elegance. Just when she thought all hope was gone, she got an idea. She began searching through the scattered feathers, looking for just the right ones.  
  
Her hope was perking up. Maybe she would have a chance, after all.  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
[Review review review!!!! I wanna know if I'm getting cheesy or not. I kind of didn't want Tadrith to be a time defiant human being, but damnit, I kinda had no choice. I feel like I lost the reality, there -.- Please let me know what you think; lot's more surprises coming up soon ^.^ ] 


	8. The Dark Spider's Web

[A/N: yay, next chapter, up and running ^.^ this one's got a lot of action n stuff in it, so I hope you like! XD Caution to readers for some strong language in this chapter, along with some sexual stuff... (Damn Tadrith, grrrrr.)  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
Cloud found himself drifting endlessly through the dense, green forest. For being so far north, the air was surprisingly warm, sending sticky perspiration to drip from Cloud's famished skin. He hadn't rested, eaten or showered in days, and he didn't care. He felt so close to his destination, yet so far away. He had wondered helplessly into this godforsaken place, and was lost beyond all imagining.  
  
Yet he felt like he was being driven, by some unseen force. He closed his eyes and felt it all around him. It was a very powerful sensation that made his nerve endings tingle. He slowed to a stop, keeping his eyes closed, trying with all his might to focus on the sensation. He felt this a warm feeling envelope him, cradling him like a lost child. His heart felt lighter, as if all the burdens of his life had been lifted, setting him free to the warm wind. He felt his whole body lighten, as if he was floating, and concentrated on the vast amount of energy that flowed into his mind, fulfilling the rest of his body.  
  
Slowly and reluctantly, he opened his eyes, only to see that the forest was gone, to be replaced by a shallow green mist that shimmered and flowed around him. He felt unimaginably peaceful, and gazed around the beauteous place. This was definitely not the Lifestream; which held the feelings of anguish and despair as well. This place felt like a warm haven, a paradise. He felt like there was so much more to it, as if he were only being shown a mere preview of the real thing. He wanted to explore it's every boundaries and embrace the warmth and peace around him. He felt.. Like he belonged.  
  
He turned around slowly, and gasped to see the figure of a young woman standing before him. As he looked, he saw that she wasn't standing, she was actually -floating- above the soft green, liquidy surface, sending ripples about her feet in delicate ringlets. She looked like an angel, surrounded by green mist that suited her lovely, emerald eyes.  
  
She smiled at him, a genuine smile of relief and pure joy. It sent Cloud's heart into a million melting pieces, and felt his own features reflect the smile of hers.  
  
"Cloud!" She breathed in her soft, feminine voice. "You.. You came to me!"  
  
Cloud stepped forward, wanting to hug her, to hold her in his arms and just -feel- her presence. He was so unimaginably happy to see her that he lost track of everything he wanted to tell her.  
  
As he stepped closer, his foot began to sink into the liquid-like surface beneath Aeris. He jumped back in surprise and looked up at her in confusion, but soon forgot about it when she reached forward and touched his face. Her floating made her appear a foot taller then Cloud was, so he had to strain his neck up to see her. Her caress was so warm and soft to the touch... He closed his eyes and put his hand on top of hers.  
  
"Aeris.." He whispered. He remembered the dreams of her, how she had been so clear to see, yet so hard to understand.. How she had been beckoning for him.. He opened his eyes.  
  
"Aeris, is this the Promised Land?" He asked, softly.  
  
She nodded her petite head. "This is only a piece of it, though. I'm not able to show you the real thing, unless-"  
  
"Is everything ok?" Cloud cut her off, remembering her distress and his sorrow. So many things started flooding him, as he began to remember the events of the past couple months. "Are you comfortable here? Are you treated well? Are there others to take care of you?" The questions poured out of him like a worried waterfall.  
  
Aeris giggled and nodded. "Of course, silly. I am a Cetra, after all. This is where I belong, with my family. Yet, I still feel alone.." Her tone softened.  
  
Cloud looked down away from her beautiful face, ashamed to look at her. "Aeris, I'm so sorry about what happened. I should have been able to save you, to keep you from being.." He stopped, unable to finish the sentence. "Heh. Some bodyguard I am."  
  
"Cloud, you were a wonderful bodyguard. I wouldn't have asked for anybody else." She smiled empathetically, which warmed his heart once more. "It wasn't your fault, Cloud. I don't hold anything against you about it, it was just meant to be." Her facial expression softened even more, but her eyes sparkled with a brilliant glimmer.  
  
"Cloud, I have to go soon. Permanently. As a Cetra, I have to leave to the real Promised Land, where my ancestors traveled centuries ago. As I said before, what you see here is only a piece of it..." She paused, looking away from Cloud, as if to let her words sink into Cloud's mind.  
  
His smile faded and his eyes saddened. "So I'll never be able to see you again." His heart began to fill with sadness again, but it was expected.  
  
"Cloud.." Aeris whispered, then looked into his eyes in a pleading manner. "Come with me. Away to the Promised Land. I can bring one person with me, only someone I truly care about, who I'd want to spend the rest of eternity with." She smiled for a moment. "Besides, you still owe me that one date, remember? This one will just.. Take a while."  
  
Cloud's heart skipped a beat. Several, in fact. She was offering him paradise with the most beautiful angel in the heavens. He already knew the answer; it was one he couldn't refuse.  
  
He smiled at Aeris.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa awaited, sitting on the edge of the large, four poster crimson and ebony bed, under the beautiful crimson and black lace drapery that hung above it and around the posts. Her heart was beating immensely fast, feeling almost like a school girl on a first date. Although this was far worse, and far more dangerous. She waited for what seemed like hours, and was to the point when she thought Tadrith would never come. She had kicked off her shoes, feeling the pain of the high-heels ebb into her ankles. She had a different use for those, besides.  
  
She had cleaned the mess of feathers off of the bed, hoping Tadrith wouldn't notice a couple pillows gone missing. She had to bust open a couple of others to find what she needed, but the search was worth it. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping her plan would work, at least a little bit.  
  
The sound of machinery whirring brought Tifa to attention, and she looked up quickly in the direction of the large door. Her heart beat faster as Tadrith walked in, a dark smile on his lips. Closing the door behind him, his eyes wandered over to her, gazing over her figure with a hungry desire.  
  
"Oh, my sweet little dove. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He licked his lips and moved closer to her. He noticed how she remained calm, like before, not flinching. He let out a silky, dark laugh. "I see you've accepted this. I, for your sake, hope you don't have anything planned."  
  
Closer.  
  
Tifa felt her stomach churn. She knew she was playing with fire, but something had to be done. She wasn't about to let herself succumb to this.. Creep.   
  
Closer.  
  
Tadrith licked his lips again, plainly staring her from head to toe. She stood up before him, allowing his eyes to drink again in her heavenly form. "My.. You're are the eloquence of perfection, my dear."  
  
Closer.  
  
Tifa kept a calm perspective. She would play everything like she had planned. No mishaps, it could cost her dearly if she did. She turned around, not wanting to face his rude staring and hungry eyes.  
  
She soon felt the breath of Tadrith on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. /Take it, Tifa. You have to. Just for a little while.. Suck it up, you can do it./ She felt Tadrith's hands slip around her waist, pulling her close to him, forcing her to feel how much he desired her. She winced.  
  
Tadrith smelled the side of Tifa's neck, pressing her close to his body, feeling her every curve. "You've no idea how long I've been waiting for you, Tifa. Since the day I saw you." He kissed along the side of her neck, and she clenched her fingers, in disgust.  
  
"Waiting for that perfect woman to come my way... with a body as lucius as yours.." He lifted his hands to her breasts. "..So I could snatch her away for myself." He fondled her over her dress, squeezing and rubbing her bodice. Tifa closed her eyes and fought the urge to hit him.  
  
"Now that I finally have you, my perfect little dove," He continued, smoothly into her ear. He turned her around and pressed her backwards into the bed, until she fell onto her back with him pinning her down on top. He continued to press his body hard into her, making her squirm slightly with revulsion. "..I will never let you go." He whispered into her ear, snaking his tongue across her skin.  
  
Tifa winced, holding back the urge to spew her insides all over his repulsive face, but she kept calm, and played along. That perfect moment would come. She reluctantly placed her arms around his back and shoulders, trying to seem interested, and lifted her thigh, purposely rubbing it into his flaming groin.  
  
Tadrith purred in response and closed his eyes. "Mmmm.. I'm so glad you decided to submit yourself to me. He gasped slightly as she pressed her thigh a little harder between his legs. He reached up and slid his hands under her gown, grabbing and squeezing her breasts with great contentment.  
  
/This is it./ Tifa thought. She positioned the quills of the feathers from the pillows between each of her knuckles, so that when she made a fist, the sharp ends jutted out. Most of the down feathers were too small to use as a potent weapon, so she used the largest ones she could find and bundled them together to make them harder and sharper.  
  
She looked up at Tadrith's face, which twisted with pleasure at the feeling of her body so close to his. She smiled to herself. She was going to enjoy this. She cooed his name in a sexy tone of voice, beckoning him to open his eyes. "Oh, Tadrith.."  
  
It worked. He instantly opened his dark eyes to look at her, surprised that she had given in to him as she did. The moment his eyelids flickered, Tifa drew back her fist as far as the bed would allow, and sent a spiked punch directly into Tadrith's eyes. He screeched in pain and grabbed at his face while Tifa kneed him in the groin, only as much as her gown would allow.  
  
She immediately kicked his body away from her as he howled in murderous pain, and Tifa bolted for the door. She had torn the heels off of her shoes and jammed them into the door frame so that when Tadrith opened and closed it, the lock wouldn't catch. She grabbed at the metal handle and yanked.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Tifa felt panic rise into her throat, and yanked harder. /Why the hell won't it open!!/  
  
Tadrith had pulled himself up onto the bed, yanking at the drapery to drag his weight up. He rubbed at his left eye, which appeared to be swollen and pricked with many small red holes. "You ungrateful little bitch." He spat. "It's not a locking mechanism. The whole door is mechanical, it will only open with my command, my code." He stared up at her, wincing in pain.  
  
"Fuck!" She screamed, feeling all her hope drain away. She couldn't kill him, then she'd never get out. Then she'd rot in here, alone, next to his stinking dead corpse.  
  
Tadrith had managed to get to his feet, though still had a hard time walking from the blow she had delt him to his groins. Tifa pounded the door with an angry fist. Tadrith smiled up at her, deviance radiating from his once-handsome features. "Didn't I say you'd regret it if you did something stupid?"  
  
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Come here."  
  
Tifa stayed where she stood. Tadrith's eyes glowered with darkness. He took a step forward. "I said. Come. Here."  
  
Tifa frowned and stayed her ground. /See if I act like his little dog./  
  
Tadrith growled menacingly and shot a hand forward, grabbing part of Tifa's long gown and thrusting her to the floor, landing on her back with a harsh -thud-. She gasped out in unexpected pain as Tadrith quickly got down on his knees and straddled her. Tifa reached out to strike him and landed a hardy blow on his jaw, then gathered her feet to kick him away from her.  
  
Tadrith growled in fury and grabbed her slender leg just after she kicked him, then yanked her down hard so that she slid underneath him once more. This time, he grabbed both her wrists and held them against the floor above her head with one hand, slapping her hard with the other. She gasped at the blow, leaving a red welt on her porcelain cheek.  
  
Tadrith sneered down at her. Tifa felt helpless now, she couldn't move anything, and had no way of escape. She was trapped in this dark spider's web. She opened her mouth to cry out, but Tadrith leaned down and kissed her hard, muffling her noises. She struggled to get away from his mouth, from his grasp, but to no avail.  
  
While Tadrith pressed his mouth into hers, he slowly slid a hand down to lift the skirts of Tifa's velvet, crimson gown.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
"Okay, Cloud." Aeris said, tears glimmering in her eyes. She smiled softly at the young man in front of her. "Please, be careful, and come back to me soon. I don't have much longer."  
  
Cloud smiled up at the beautiful young girl. He felt happy, complete, for the first real time of his life, and it wasn't from being in the presence of the Promised Land. This was real.  
  
"I promise you, Aeris. As soon as I find her, I'll come back for you, before it's too late." His smile grew, knowing he was being truthful, knowing he'd be back to see this darling angel.  
  
He turned around and closed his eyes, preparing to return to reality. "I love you, Aeris." He whispered to the girl just as she disappeared behind him, who smiled and bowed her head in return.  
  
When his eyes opened, he found himself back in the Sleeping Forest, only this time, the trees were slightly bent before him to reveal a path. Cloud smiled and began journeying it back. He mentally thanked Aeris for showing him the way.. He would have never made it back on his own. Not with the time limit that was placed upon him now. He had very little time to retrieve Tifa and return here. He breathed out a deep breathe, hoping he wouldn't be too late.  
  
He couldn't bear to break this promise.  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
  
[A/N: *gasp!* What's gonna happen!? What was Cloud's decision? What's gonna happen with Tifa??! ::dramatic soap opera music:: I'll probably be posting the next chapter pretty soon, don't wanna keep anyone on the edge here ^.^] ::falls on knees:: PPLLLLEEASSEEE review!!!! I need it!! I don't have that many now.. *snifflez* I'm beginning to feel.. quite unloved....... *sniff sniff* ] 


	9. Hojo's Manifesting Wishes

[A/N: I bring to you.... action!!!! adventure!!! twists and turns at every corner!!! Hehe, I had fun with this chapter ^.^ There'll be a few plot twists that I know most of you won't like, that make you hate Tadrith all the more... :D Oh, and I'd like to give my personal thanks to Felix, who really made me feel better about my writing and stuff. *sniffles* Thank you! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside ^.^ Ok, people, Read on!!]  
  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
"She had a gold chocobo, you say?" A cheery young lady said.  
  
Cid, CaitSith and Vincent were all weary and in dire need of a drink, or even a bite to eat when they entered the town of Kalm, their fourth visit to random places around the globe. Yet they pressed on, deciding to keep searching until they found Tifa, or at least a clue as to if she was well and alive.  
  
Cid rubbed at his temples, feeling his long exposed headache wear away at his senses. "Yeah, and long brown hair with redish-type eyes." He had been awake for far too long. His description ability had gone from every tiny detail to just a couple of famished words.  
  
The woman's face lit up. "Why, yes. A polite young girl, passed by here a couple days ago. Her chocobo somehow escaped during the night, I'm not sure as to where she's staying now. Word has it she's staying with the local businessman until she gets a ride to her friends house." She blushed slightly at those words, recalling the endless gossip that skipped around the town from person to person. It was highly rude to meddle in other's affairs, but if these young people were looking for her..  
  
All three looked at each other, as Cid's eyes popped open and felt his adrenalin heighten; they finally found something! She was alive after all! Well, hopefully. But who was it she was supposedly staying with? He stroked his chin, not liking the sound of it. "Local businessman? Where's he staying, miss?"  
  
The woman looked down. "I'm afraid we don't know, sir. We always see him in town, but have never seen where he retires to. Word has it that he came over from Midgar when it was destroyed, along with most of the other survivors." She lightly bit on her lower lip, thinking about the gossip she had heard again. It was none of her business, really..  
  
Cid smiled warmly, sensing the lady's distress. "Thank you miss, we really needed the help. I think we'll be able to take it from here now."  
  
She blushed in response, curtsied politely, and hurried off to wherever it was she had to go. Cid turned and looked at the others. Vincent had his usual placid look, yet his eyes reflected the same feeling Cid had. Tifa was a dear friend to them, and was always there to cheer them up when things were tough. She was genuine, and the thought of anything happening to her was heart wrenching. Vincent himself couldn't help but feel anxious, she had openly talked to him for hours, always trusting and smiling, treating him like a normal -human-. She had even managed to make him smile, a task he was far from accustomed to. She was his friend, and she needed his help. As she had for him, he'd be damned sure to be there for her.  
  
CaitSith was the first to speak, in his thick, programmed casino accent. Reeve was also deeply concerned as to what had happened to his dear friend, and was everything but reluctant to send CaitSith along to help. "A businessman from Midgar? That's gotta mean he lived on the top plate. Nobody but the poor lived in the slums underneath.."  
  
"So he more than likely worked for Shin-Ra." Vincent said in his melodic, velvety voice.  
  
Cait nodded his little feline head. "That's right. That bein' the case, why ain't he in Junon where most of the others went? There must be somewhere close by where he could be stayin'."  
  
Cid was still scratching at his chin, thoughtfully. "It doesn't necessarily mean he's stayin' IN this town, he could be somewhere outside, ya know, around the outskirts of this place."  
  
CaitSith leaned his head to the side, mimicking the idea of thoughtfulness. "Hold on a sec. I'll check for any places nearby." With that, a mechanical drone sounded from the little spy robot, as if he were instantly powered down.  
  
"Ugh, when this is over, I'm gonna sleep for a week, smoke a pack, and then sleep some more." Cid rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the strain of the days search wearing on him greatly.  
  
Vincent eyed him skeptically. "You're going to smoke yourself to an early grave."  
  
"At least I'd sleep!" Cid protested, throwing his arms dramatically into the air.  
  
Vincent rolled his blood red eyes, as CaitSith whirred to life before their eyes. "There are a couple'a places around this town on the radar, pretty small, I'd say maybe a house or two. One of them was made by the Shin-Ra, kinda like the one in Nibelheim. There's alotta technical stuff in there.. I think we should check there first."  
  
Turning down the thought of stopping for a quick coffee fled from Cid's mind. As they followed CaitSith to the direction of the Shin-Ra house, he took out his PHS to tell the others the news. They should all be here for this, just in case something deeper was going on.  
  
He, for one, didn't want to take any chances. This was one of his closest friends he was talking about.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tadrith was seething with rage. He slammed the door shut behind him as we quickly walked down one of the long corridors of his home.  
  
/MY home. Where what I say goes. That foul little bitch../  
  
He wiped the blood from his broken lip, his dark brow strewn together in frustration.  
  
/How dare she defy my as she does. After all I've offered her./  
  
Just before Tadrith could lift Tifa's skirts above her knees, she looked at him with eyes full of a burning rage he had never seen before. She parted her lips to whisper two faint words he couldn't remember, then released an energy blast from her restrained fists that sent him to the floor in pain.  
  
/Final Heaven. Those were her words./ He wish he hadn't remembered. He still felt the pain radiate through his body, mainly his head. He thought he'd had her at last, but she was just full of delicious surprises.  
  
When Tadrith came to a stop, he stood before the golden chocobo Tifa had called "Blade". It looked at him through tired and angered eyes from it's restrained position, chained to the wall in one of the barren chambers in the west wing of the house. Tadrith grimaced at the bird, feeling the hatred stream from it's wide, intelligent eyes. He smiled again, feeling the rage at the innocent thing's defiance, and swung his already bruised fist at the chocobo's head, landing with such a blow that it's neck snapped instantaneously. It's golden body fell painlessly to the floor.  
  
Tadrith shook his fist in pain and anguish, feeling somewhat better to have taken his rage out on -something-. /Besides, she doesn't need that ghastly creature anymore. She belongs to me now, and I don't intend her to get away./ He turned and headed back to his personal bedchamber. He was completely unaware of the beast of a man he was turning into. He hadn't even a clue as to the side-effects of Hojo's life expanding serum, as it coursed feverishly through his veins, as it had for several decades now. He didn't know, didn't care that it was changing him internally from a patient, calm, understanding man of eloquence and education, into something far worse; far more dreadful.  
  
Tadrith stepped into his private chambers and fumed to his own demand. He thought about the beautiful Tifa he had trapped and abandoned in his room. His features slackened for a moment, and a faint smile slowly adorned his darkly handsome face. /I'll let her wait. She has to sleep sometime.. And she can't go long without food.. I'll just wait for her to let her guard down, then approach her and do as I please. She does, after all, belong to me now. I want her, and I always get what I want. She's mine. I'll have her whenever I please.. After all, I am a patient man./ He sneered to himself, content with his plan.  
  
Hojo's wishes were finally coming true. If only he were still alive to monitor this creation of his.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
After a quick refreshment of the last Mimmette Greens and an assortment of other nuts and foods, Matrix was ready to go. Cloud felt exceedingly happy. Things seemed to be in favor of him now, and he felt.. Well, -proud-.   
  
/Call it what you want, but Tifa's still missing. After all you told Aeris, you shouldn't be dragging around here wasting time./ He mentally kicked himself out of his sudden lazy state of mind, and mounted Matrix.  
  
"Well. Now for where to go. I supposed I should call-"  
  
Just before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang. Cloud's heart skipped several beats at the unexpected ring, and reached down with a shaky hand, searching for the receive button.  
  
"Hel-"  
  
"Cloud!! Get your spiky headed ass down here NOW!" It was Cid, who was obviously excited about something. "We found Tifa! She's trapped in some lunatic's mansion outside of Kalm. Get here fast, CaitSith's working on the security system an' lock controls an' stuff. But- who the hell cares, jus' get yer fuckin' ass down here now!!"  
  
The adrenalin in Cloud's body peaked at it's highest since they entered the fight with Sephiroth. He felt choked with panic as worry overcame his frustrated mind. He grabbed the reigns for Matrix, and not even asked, he pleaded to the readied bird.  
  
"Matrix, please get me there as fast as you can, Tifa's in trouble, please hurry.."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Inside the mechanical control room of the mansion, CaitSith was endlessly toying with the control panel in front of him. There were small security monitoring televisions lined in a row above their heads, which randomly surveyed specific areas of the grounds.  
  
"Wow, this guy really know's his stuff!" Cait said while deciphering the codes to the locking system of the house.  
  
Cid never knew how handy CaitSith's spying utilities and skills would come in handy. He was damn relieved to have the little guy on his team.  
  
"I think I almost have it. The fire walls and security codes are pretty well managed, so it's takin' a little while to hack through them." Cait added, while punching away at buttons, seeming to know everything he was doing.  
  
One of the t.v monitors flashed back to the room Tifa was locked into. She hadn't moved from her spot on the floor from before. She was propped up against the bed, appearing to be very worn down from a probable fight to defend herself. Cid growled to himself. He would personally slice the gonads from the man responsible; assuming it was even a male at all.  
  
Another small t.v revealed what looked almost like a prison, only without the iron bars. There were grey stone walls placed in the form of individual cells with chains and shackles hanging from the back of each one. Inside of the cells appeared to be the lifeless body of a once-magnificent golden chocobo. Cid felt his heart sink. It was Blade..  
  
"So that's what happened to Blade when she "disappeared." Cid said out loud. Vincent looked in his direction, and saw the image just before it flickered away to some other empty room. He clenched his clawed fingers tightly, feeling his blood boil. /Tifa loved that chocobo beyond comparison.. It had taken her months to finally hatch it./ He couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"I'm going out." He stated simply, walking for the door as his crimson red cape fluttered quietly behind him. "I need to see if I can find something -useful- to free her. Waiting here is accomplishing nothing." Vincent then slipped out into the shadows of the corridor, not giving Cid or Cait the chance to reply. He couldn't stand to sit around and wait. It just wasn't his nature. /I've remained still far long enough./ He thought, vigorously.  
  
"Grrr.. If only there were an intercom system or something. Then we could talk to Tifa and find out what's going on, an' see if she's alright." Cait commented after a moment of painful, still quietness.  
  
Cid's groggy mind wandered endlessly, unable to remain focused due to his lack of rest. He had unexpectedly run out of cigarettes hours ago, sending the others into a fit of amused laughter. They thought he had infinite cigarettes, or something of the sort. /Hmph. Like this is some sort of game, with cheat codes, or something like that./ He thought darkly. He -wished- he had a cigarette.. God, at least half of one, anything to ease his mind.  
  
His mind instantly fled to the thought of Shera, and if she was currently in this situation right now. He instantly felt the anger redden his skin. /Cloud, you better get your punk ass over here right -now-../  
  
"Got it!" Cait exclaimed happily. He clicked a single button with a gloved finger, and an electrical "click" could be heard throughout the house.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa's eyes gazed up at the door as the sound of it unlocking echoed through her room. She felt drained and weary, and sick of this overly lavished house. She wanted -out-. She wanted to see her friends, to laugh and smile with Cloud like before he left. She pushed herself up, wishing she had some kind of potion, an elixer or restore materia of some sort to replenish her strength.  
  
She feebly walked to the door, not daring to raise her hopes, and scared that if it -was- unlocked, her predator would be waiting on the other side, ready to ravish her and perhaps even end her life. But she had to push on, she wouldn't allow herself to be kept here, or to die here for that matter.  
  
/Think of how much little Marlene will miss me./ She thought, trying to replenish her faded hope. Taking a deep breath, she pushed at the door, surprised to feel it's weight drift forward. She carefully padded forward on her bare feet, trying to walk as stealthily as possible so as not to be heard.  
  
There was no one visibly around, and she pondered her options. /Who unlocked the door? Has someone come to help me?/ Her dark red eyes scanned the halls around her, thinking about leaving to her room to get her things. /Yes, there I can get my gloves and boots, my materia and things.. Then I'll sneak down and find Blade and we can get out of here../ She smiled inwardly, silently making her way to where she thought were the main stairs.  
  
/This will be easy. Just be as stealthy as Vincent, and I should be out of here in no time./ She thought, trying to sound as confident as she wish she was.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Cid stared at the tiny monitors, waiting for Tifa's room to pop up, while Cait typed away at more random keys an buttons for God-knows what.  
  
"Come on, come on.." Cid urged impatiently. He wished Vincent hadn't left, they'd have to get him before they made their escape from the mansion. But Cid knew the dark man wanted revenge. Hell, they all did. Maybe they -should- stick around and pay a nice little visit to Tifa's kidnapper.  
  
The t.v focused on Tifa's room, suddenly. "There ya go, Cid!" Cait said with a smile.  
  
Cid searched the screen for any sign of Tifa, and saw that she was gone. He pounded the table with his fist, shouting, "Shit! She's already gone! Come on, we gotta go get her before that asshole does!"  
  
As the two turned to leave the safety of the control room, the last t.v monitor changed to show a room with a very angry looking, well dressed man with dark hair. He was just waking up, it appeared, by something that seemed to startle him awake. The man quickly walked out of his bedroom door.  
  
Neither Cid nor CaitSith turned to give it a second glance as they walked out the door.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Vincent was finding his way around quite nicely. After his years long ago training to become a Turk, he was actually quite used to the winding hallways and numerous doors and rooms of the Shin-Ra buildings. He pondered what this house was really used for, back when Midgar was alive and well. He scoffed at himself for even bothering with the imbecile thought, and pressed on, blending and slinking in between flittering shadows.  
  
This was his true thrill. Blending with the darkness, following the scent of blood, tuning into his unnatural abilities as an experiment from long ago. He could sense Tifa near by, and felt that her energies were spent and very low. He could also sense the decay of an animal, freshly killed somewhere within the walls of the tangled mansion. /Blade./ He remembered the image of the bird on the cell floor, how mangled his neck looked.  
  
/I'll return the favor to it's killer. It may be another sin to add to my many, yet to let anyone as sinister as he roam freely in the world is more a sin than any./ He smiled. /So it is my duty to return the safety to my dear friend./  
  
He soon came across the door that Tifa was once trapped behind. It was propped slightly opened, and his inhuman heart skipped a beat at the thought of her roaming around the house, alone. As he peered into the room for any signs of the young girl, he began to sense something else. Something different, evil, you might say.. It was a malevolent aura..  
  
Vincent snapped his head away from the door and stared at the man that now stood before him. Vincent's eyes glowed an eery red as his veins pulsed in hatred. He recognized the other man, from long ago in the Shin-Ra buildings of Midgar. It was the man behind Hojo's exquisite labs and intricate items of destruction. It was Tadrith Shin-Ra.  
  
Tadrith stepped forward, smiling grimly. "My, my. What have we here? An intruder of sorts? I'm afraid we don't welcome intruders. Especially contorted experiments gone wrong, such as yourself." He sneered at Vincent menacingly.  
  
Vincent lowered his half-hidden face in ferocious anger. His metal claw flexed anxiously beneath the folds of his crimson cape, thirsting to thrash at the face of the abomination of a man standing before him.  
  
"Don't think I've forgotten you." Tadrith continued, his voice smooth and dark, sounding as if he'd planned all his words ahead of time. "You're name is of no importance, but who could forget a face like that. You're that bile experiment of Hojo's, the Turk who failed to complete his duties, and failed to save the life of the woman he loved." He let out a deviant chuckle. "Too bad she chose Hojo over you. I guess in the outcome, you just weren't worth it."  
  
The cold words didn't even brush Vincent's heart. He had long since turned cold to those facts, accepting them as reality. To hear them from this man, though, freshened his anger, and his eyes transformed into a deeper burgundy. His skin felt inflamed with angry fire, and felt his body twist into the form of another being. The energy that was swelling in his body was incredible, almost unreal.  
  
Tadrith's eyes gleamed, and his smiled faded for a moment. "How predictable." He muttered, and stepped forward, grabbing Vincent in his weakest moment and thrust him with an inhuman strength into the steel-enforced room that Tifa was locked in before. Tadrith slammed the door and quickly punched in another code, followed by the sound of the lock whirring shut. He smiled even more, flexing his fingers at his newly found energy. He'd never felt so unbeatable.. this was turning out to be a good day, after all.  
  
The Vincent-turned Chaos pounded furiously at the door, his talons and scaled skin trying to rip furiously at the metal. His wings beat at the air endlessly, trying to muster up enough strength to tear the very walls down.  
  
/Which is exactly what I'll do./ Vincent and Chaos thought together in unison.  
  
The sound of Tadrith's laughter could be scarcely heard on the other side of the door. "It will take you far too long to break it down, my twisted friend. By the time that happens, I'll have the girl, and we'll be gone." His laughter faded as he walked confidently towards the stairs, where Tifa's guestroom lay.  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
[Awww, poor Blade!! *sniffles* And now Vincent? *more sniffles* More action and good things like that, coming up in the next chapter ^.^ Should be up really soon.. I have an unusual amount of time on my hands, now that Midterms are over ::wipes a sweat drop away:: well, until the next chapter, farewell ^.^ v ] 


	10. Lurking the Halls

[A/N: YaY! More suspense and action!! fun stuff! Read on! XD ]  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
"Got it!" Tifa said triumphantly, having packed the rest of her supplies. She had her Premium Hearts on, fitted comfortable over the black velvet gloves that went with her dress, along with her favorite black boots. They didn't seem to go too well with the formal crimson velvet gown she was wearing, but she didn't want to risk the time of changing. She slipped her pack on over her shoulder and headed wearily for the door, while drinking her last High-Potion. It was sweeter tasting then the regular potions and left a tangy residue on her tongue, but it was highly refreshing.  
  
She looked both ways while peeking her head cautiously out the wide door frame, and seeing it to be clear, tiptoed to where she thought she heard Blade before, somewhere downstairs.  
  
/I'm going to need to watch myself carefully; that lunatic bastard is after me, and after the mark I left on his face, he won't be at all happy to see me./ She smiled silently to herself, remembering how simply -good- it felt to hurt Tadrith. It almost made her feel warm and tingly. But wait, no- that was probably the potions.  
  
Holding the hem of her gown up a little to keep from tripping while she walked, she slowly made her way back downstairs. /I wish I knew where the hell I'm going../ She tuned into her fighting senses, which Zanghan had so diligently taught her, and extended them all around her. Her hearing extended to every corner of the room, so she was able to observe the slightest little sound if anyone was approaching. Her vision became more acute, readily tensing her muscles for action at any given moment.  
  
/Go ahead, Tadrith. Just try and stop me from leaving now./  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Cid felt a little paranoid at the endless pounding noises that echoed through the hallway they were in. He tensely gripped at his Venus Gospel, feeling the sweat drip down his forehead, under the visors of his precious goggles. He instinctively sucked at the air, as if he had a cigarette in his mouth, wishing even more that he at least had even a -quarter- of one.  
  
"Any idea of what that might be?" CaitSith asked, as they neared the sound of the loud, relentless noise.  
  
"Well, we're about to find out." Cid said precariously, his heart pounding in his chest. /I hope to God it's something we can handle ourselves../  
  
They rounded a corner, and down the hall a ways was a large, homely, oak door. It was vibrating vigorously from furious pounding on the other side, as if someone or something was trying to get out. Cid's eyes widened in fear.  
  
"What if that's Tifa?" He asked, a spark of fear and worry in his blue eyes. "But then again, what if it's her kidnapper?"  
  
"I highly doubt it." CaitSith answered. "Seein' as how he knows all the locks an' stuff to this place."  
  
Cid neared the door. "Hey! Who's in there?" He demanded gruffly.  
  
The pounding stopped suddenly. A great fluttering could be heard from the inside, as if a giant bat had just taken flight. A deep, harsh voice called back, "Let me out of here!"  
  
"It's Vincent!" Cid and CaitSith immediately leapt for the door, trying to find a way to pry it open. After fiddling with the doorknob, only to find it wouldn't budge, Cid tried prying the end of his spear into the doorframe, attempting to wedge it open. Cait meanwhile tampered with the control box next to the large frame, trying to type a code that would unlock it.  
  
"It won't fuckin' budge!" Cid grunted, flustered.  
  
A devious, light laughter sounded behind them, and Cid whirled around to see a very tall man standing behind him. Cid's eyes narrowed in anger, instantly recognizing the mans clothing. /Businessman../   
  
"You're the one, ain't you?" He implied angrily.  
  
The man's eyes seemed to glow a deep red, almost dark enough to be mistaken as black. His features had become sharp and rigid, as if his skull had grown thicker. His fingers were longer then a normal humans, and seemed to be tipped with short, stubby claws. His whole body just seemed to be a bit longer than normal, his pants ending at his ankles and his sleeves above his wrists, as if he'd had a sudden 6 inch growth spurt in the time of half an hour. His muscles, however, were still equally proportioned, his broad shoulders radiating with strength.  
  
/What the fuck../ Cid thought, stalling at the sight of the oddly formed man in front of him.  
  
Tadrith remained smiling, displaying his teeth which seemed to be tipped slightly, like fangs, and reached forth an unnaturally long, thick arm, past CaitSith to type in his personal code into the silver control box. With a mechanical click, the door slid open just enough to see the demonic form of Chaos on the inside, his hands bloodied from his furious wracking at the door.  
  
Cid and Cait naturally turned to look into the room, and just as they did, Tadrith shoved them both inside with such a strength that the both of them sprawled to the floor at Chaos's feet. As the demon screeched, Tadrith pushed the door closed, feeling the impact as the enraged creature flung himself at the door, trying to hopelessly break it open. Tadrith just smiled, and with his unusual fingers, he typed in his code again, sending the steel-enforced door to it's usual locked state.  
  
Walking away, smiling his dark, wicked smile, Tadrith said to no one in particular, "Play nice now, boys."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tifa felt a shiver creep down her spine as she looked upon the broken body of her dear, beloved golden chocobo.  
  
She knelt down before it to stroke it's head one last time, feeling pity, guilt, sorrow and stark rage build inside her, all at once. She felt her eyes sting, on the verge of tears, as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Blade.. I didn't mean to drag you into this.. I loved you so much.."  
  
She stroked the soft golden feathers, then stood, turning to further survey the odd looking dungeon around her. This place definitely gave her the creeps; she didn't want to imagine the other people that had been left here to die. Or maybe worse...  
  
Sparing one last look back at her favorite chocobo, she turned back to where she came in from. /Great, now I have no quick way of escape. I'm going to have to sneak out.. Which will be dangerous, considering all the creatures I'll have to face.. / She mentally scanned the map of the continent she was on, thinking of the closest place she could go to for sanctuary.  
  
/Let me think.. If I go east across the ocean, Wutai is the closest place I could go to.. Yuffie's there, so I can stay with her until things clear up../ She peered around in the dimly lit hallway she was standing in front of. There were two different ways she could go; either straight, which would eventually lead her to the room Tadrith had locked her in, which would then lead to the main entrance, or left, which would be the long way to the front, but would avoid any of the obvious places she could be.  
  
She didn't want to take the chance. Tadrith was probably out searching for her now, and she was in no condition to defend herself fully. She headed left.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Tadrith pulled uncomfortably at his collar, feeling how tightly it fit against his skin, so suddenly. He stared into his closet, looking for something that would fit him more suitably. He didn't want to search the house for his little dove with clothes that limited his movements; he didn't want to take the chance with that woman.  
  
While searching for something larger, he pondered wondrously at his newly found strength, and began to laugh to himself.  
  
/Maybe Hojo's chemical elevated more then just human years, after all./ He smiled wickedly to himself, unaware at just how much he was changing. /I wonder why it so suddenly came upon me now. Perhaps the stress from my dear Tifa? Yes, that must be it./ He selected a long, black overcoat that belonged to one of his deceased grandfathers; It had always been too large for him.  
  
He slipped off his formal jacket, leaving on the loose silk, white, dress shirt underneath. /At least -something- still fits right./ He slid his arms into the sleeves of the pitch black coat, smiling to see it now fit perfectly. He failed to see, however, how unnaturally pale his skin had become. He was so infected with the thought of -his- Tifa that he scarcely anything else came to mind.  
  
He examined his coat, seeing how it fell all the way down to his ankles, and saw that his pants, too, fit too short. Sighing irritably, he slipped them off and tried on a pair of black, formal looking slacks from the same dead grandfather, along with his old dress shoes.  
  
He clasped only a couple of buttons on the overcoat, and looked down at himself. He smiled, admiring his appearance. His grandfather's clothes were styled from the later years, giving him an old-fashioned appeal. /I guess you could say I look somewhat like a vampire./ He thought, amusingly.  
  
He brushed a lanky, pale hand back through his raven hair and stepped out the door, eagerly ready to capture his prey.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
When the hallway suddenly stopped to another locked door, Tifa stomped her foot furiously. /God I hate this place! Just when you think you're on you're way to the right exit../ Tadrith had only showed her certain parts of the house, apparently. She didn't remember seeing anything that made up her current surroundings. /What's the point of living in a house so large, especially all by yourself?/  
  
Tifa turned around and began her trek back to the hallway she had just turned out of. On her way, she examined the doors that she passed. They were all as large as her guest room upstairs, and some of them were labeled with silver plates above their monstrous frames. They were numbers, however, which meant absolutely nothing to her. Yet.. She turned around and quickly went back to the dead end of the hallway, and scanned the plate above the door frame at the end.  
  
"Research and Development Library"  
  
Tifa's eyebrows knitted together with curiosity, and reached forward to turn the knob. It wasn't even closed all the way; it tipped forward to her touch. Looking around carefully, Tifa stepped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. /I won't take long.. Just a quick peek../  
  
Before switching the light on, she kicked the small entrance rug up against the bottom of the door, so as not to let any light escape through the small crack, giving away her position. Feeling satisfied, she flipped on the light and gazed around the room, her pupils dilating harshly to the sudden bright light.  
  
She was in a rather large room, every wall lined with bookshelves that touched the high ceiling. There were a couple of desks around the center of the room, littered with scattered papers and a couple of books, haplessly tossed on the tables.  
  
Tifa carefully approached the closest desk and scanned over the contents strewn atop it. The loose papers were all scribbled on with a very messy style of handwriting, and she squinted her eyes, trying to read the words that lay before her.  
  
  
  
"So far the experiments are showing no progress. P. Shin-Ra is losing his patience, as always, pushing my work days ahead of schedule. I'm really tiring of his antics. Someday he'll regret his mistreatment of me, and will see that my intelligence far outranks that of his precious Professor Ghast."  
  
  
  
Tifa looked up from the papers, processing the words she had just read. She assumed that by "P. Shin-Ra, the writer meant the President of Shin-Ra at the time. "Is it.. Who I think it is?" She whispered to herself. She selected another paper, hoping to find an answer to the mysterious author.  
  
  
  
"Jenova - possible Cetra  
Cetra - great powers exceeding that of humans, connected to Promised Land  
Promised Land - abundance of Mako energy  
Extraction of Jenova - sample cells showing high amounts of activity in living tissue  
  
Humans? - possibly increase strength, mentality, metabolism, endurance, life expectancy  
  
Promised Land? - possible Jenova Cells lead their host to Promised Land"  
  
  
  
  
Tifa's heart was beating in her chest, as she scanned over the rest of the notes, and examined what was at the very end.  
  
  
  
  
"Note: Ask P. Shin-Ra for permission to sample Jenova Cells in an active environment - Preferably the town of Nibelheim. Will need personal lab - ask to have one made - preferably Tadrith Shin-Ra."  
  
  
  
  
Tifa set the paper down to it's respectful position on the desk. /Hojo.. This is Hojo's house I'm standing in. No wonder Tadrith is staying here, he's protecting this place from possible infiltration../ She needed to get out. She wasn't safe her right now, especially not in this dead end of a room where she could be trapped very easily.  
  
She turned and headed back to the door, turning off the lights and replacing the carpet back to it's original spot in front of the door. She thought about Hojo's notes, specifically the part about Jenova's Cells possibly increasing one's life expectancy. /I wonder if Tadrith has anything to do with that.. Maybe he was deceived as a test "specimen" by Hojo, as well../  
  
Tifa slowly crept out the door and closed it behind her, carefully and quietly heading for what she hoped to be an exit. She exhaled slowly, remembering the hallways she came in from and mentally readied herself to slink down in the other direction then from the one she went last time, which lead her here, to this dead end. /Well, at least I got something important out of it. When we get our wits together, we'll all come back to this place and check the rest of it out.. There's definitely some important documents that need to be looked through. There's still a LOT to be learned, here-/  
  
She paused suddenly, her thoughts jolting to a complete stop as she heard a muffled noise coming from around the corner in front of her. She had reached the intersection of hallways without even realizing it, kicking herself internally for not paying closer attention.  
  
She froze where she stood, unknowingly holding her breath as she listened for the noise again. She wished the lights were out, or that it was darker than it already was. The hallways were dimly lit, but she could still be seen, clear as day, by anything that happened to walk by.  
  
She started to tiptoe backwards, keeping her eyes trained on the intersection, watching for whoever it was who might possibly be approaching. Just a few more feet, and she'd be able to disappear around the bending hall behind her, which would only lead her back to the library. A dead end. Either that, or she could sprint as fast she could and hope to outrun the enemy to the nearest exit.. (by now, the only one she knew of was the front entrance.)  
  
She weighed those options. She was a very fast runner, with great endurance and stamina, and could more then likely make it to inner Kalm without being caught. If she could at least hide herself in the eye of the public, Tadrith wouldn't be able to do anything. The only problem was, she didn't know her way at all around this monstrous place and risked running to another dead end, with the pursuer right behind her. She smiled to herself. /If that happens, I'll just turn and deliver a quick and unexpected blow to his face and run back behind him./  
  
Her choice was made. She steadied her stance, gripping her shoes into the floor, and lifted her skirts a little higher. Sprinting around in this velvet gown wasn't exactly her idea of a getaway, but it would have to suffice. She took a deep breath, hearing another muffled scuff from around the bend in front of her, and decided now or never.  
  
With a great leap, she sprinted forward. She pumped her arms for speed, her crimson gown swaying side to side with the quick relentless motions, and she ran straight ahead of her. As she sped through the intersecting hallways, she spared no glance to see who was there to catch her. She honestly didn't care who it was, as long as they couldn't reach out to grab her. She heard a surprised reaction from the tall, shapeless person she passed.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
But she was gone in a crimson flash, smiling happily to herself. /Just keep going, don't stop.. You'll make it Tifa, you're gonna get out of this place../ She breathed evenly as she madly dashed through the endless hallways, searching desperately for the front foyer. It didn't sound like she was being followed, but she didn't want to risk slowing down to look back.  
  
Her heart pounding furiously, she finally reached a hallway that looked familiar. Her smile brightened as her heart jumped with joy.  
  
/Yes! Take it to the left, the front entrance is just right there! You're almost free Tifa!/  
  
Her muscles began to feel famished, but she pressed on, feeling so close to the end of this charade. She rounded the corner left, feeling victory consume her, as she passed a shadowy figure around the bend that she didn't remember seeing there before. /Wha-/  
  
Just as she passed around the corner, strong arms reached out and plucked her off of the ground. The arms wrapped around her arms and waist, pinning her in such a way that it made it difficult to move, her chest heaving heavily from her vain flight.  
  
"No!" She shouted, feeling her hope instantly drain away. She moved and kicked furiously, struggling to free herself from the incredibly strong grasp of her enemy.  
  
"I won't let you take me ba-"  
  
"Hush now, my little dove." A harsh whisper interrupted her. "I wouldn't want to strangle that beautiful neck of yours."  
  
Tifa's heart pounded fiercely, not from her running, but from the stark dread that overtook her body. Her gown didn't let her accomplish anything as far as the kicking went, so she reluctantly subdued, letting her body fall limp under Tadrith's extremely ardent grip. Her feet dangled unusually above the ground, fleeting Tifa's mind to think, /I don't remember him being -that- tall../  
  
A cruel chuckle escaped from his lips. "That's a good girl. Now, if you'll calmly submit yourself, we can end this relentlessly pointless chase. You've angered me quite enough for one day."  
  
Even through her gloves she could feel his oddly clawed fingers grasp into her skin. He slowly and calmly placed her on the ground, yet kept a firm, demanding grip on her arm. She turned to slowly look into the eyes of her predator, and gasped at his changed appearance; all her questions from earlier most indefinitely answered. She gasped in disgusted horror.  
  
He was taller, about 7 and a half feet, with broad, muscular shoulders and arms. He was wrapped in a long, fitting black coat, that dusted around his ankles. His skin was unbelievably pale, his fingers tipped with strange claws and his face, starkly pale and smooth, his handsome features remaining unaltered except for the paleness of his skin, and his eyes.  
  
His eyes struck her the most. They were the deepest crimson she had ever seen, even deeper then Vincent's and herself's. They displayed hunger and power, and even more; lust. She felt fear strike her heart and pierce her mortal soul.  
  
"T.. Tadrith.. What.. What happened to you?" She asked, hesitantly. She already knew the answer, but desperately wished to delay time, so to think of a possible way of escape. This time, though, escape seemed highly impossible. It was finally hopeless.  
  
He laughed in his usual deep, silky voice. "Hojo's miracle of science. I suppose you could say that's what I've become. Spare me your questions. Attempting to delay of the inevitable is truly pointless." He smiled wickedly, making Tifa grimace at his vampire-ish fangs. "Come, my little dove. I have some.. Unfinished business with you."  
  
His eyes emphasized the deepest hunger for her. What she didn't know this time was if he was going to finish what he had tried to start with her before, or if it was something far worse, far more terrible. She feared for her life, for she knew how angry she had made him. He was probably going to ravage her body, and then her soul..  
  
She feared for the pain she was going to feel. Tadrith wasn't going to be gentle with her. Not anymore.  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[A/N: Thank you soo much to everyone who's been with me on this ^.^ To those of you who review, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!! To those of you who read this, thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! I feel pretty good about this story, personally; there's a lot of things that just came up out of no where that fit pretty nicely, or that I suddenly got the urge to add in, so, for all of those enjoying this little thriller, here's some more action for ya ^.~ I never knew action/suspense/drama/more action could be so much fun to write :D Welp, read on, dear friends. Thanks again for you're encouraging reviews, or messages just to say 'hi' :D I love 'em all ^.^ v]  
  
  
::waves:: Hi everybody! :D 


	11. Sweet, Delicious Revenge

[A/N: Oh, yes! A nice long chapter XD Lot'sa action, too! Hehe, guess what?]  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
Tifa's heart never ceased to slow down. It was permanently feeding off of high adrenalin, sending the rest of her body into fearful shakes. Tadrith scared her, right to her very core. Not even Sephiroth had scared her that much. Perhaps that was because at the time, she had Cloud by her side, and she wasn't being dragged to who knows what end by a lustful, hungry man who had seemingly been genetically altered by a disease that was equally lustful and hungry. The two put together made Tadrith a monster, and he had her.  
  
Tifa prayed that someone would come to rescue her, that her friends had somehow found where she went and had ruthlessly followed, and were planning an attack to save her right now. /I doubt it. Nobody even knows I'm gone. Well, maybe someone has figured it out by now, but it's highly doubtful that they've come even close to finding me now. It's... it's too late./  
  
Tadrith sneered, dragging her through the endless hallways, sensing his precious doves distress and fear. /Rightfully so; the little bitch defied me and scarred me several times./ He tugged at her wrists, smiling at the gasp of pain that erupted from Tifa's lovely lips.  
  
He was deliberately taking her to a familiar area of the house, knowing at once that Tifa would be ever-so surprised at what she would discover. All her hopes were about to drain away, and Tadrith absolutely reveled in that fact.  
  
He stopped before a large, wooden door. Tifa looked reluctantly at the door, questioning what Tadrith's motives were. He squeezed her wrist and sneered down at her smoothly, whispering to her, "Go ahead, say hello."  
  
Tifa was overcome with confusion, but afraid to defy the already enraged man any further and highly intimidated by his new form, she asked meekly to whoever awaited her words, "Hello?"  
  
A shuffling could be heard from inside, and Tifa's heart thudded with fear. Was it another monstrous creation? Was he going to throw her inside to be torn apart, or was there someone-  
  
"Tifa?" An all too familiar gruff voice asked. "Is that you out there?"  
  
"Cid!" Tifa called, feeling her heart soar for a moment, yet worried at her friend's safety.  
  
"Tifa! Let us out, we have to get out of here!" The doorknob jiggled slightly as Cid attempted for the thousandth time to open it.  
  
"Cid, I-" A clammy, pale hand clasped harshly over mouth, delaying her words. Tadrith whispered brutally into her ear, "Now, now, my dear Tifa. We wouldn't want to tell them too much."  
  
Tadrith turned his gaze towards the door, and said aloud to the occupants on the other side, "Now, if you'll kindly excuse us, gentlemen, Tifa and I have some business to attend to."  
  
Cid's outrage could be clearly heard on the other side of the door. "What? Who the fuck are you? What are you doing with Tifa?" His tone changed as he waited to hear her voice in response. "Tifa? You there?" Afer a moment of silence, he pounded the door violently with his fist. "Shit!"  
  
Tifa clenched her eyes closed, wishing to yell out to them, to let them know she was in trouble. For all they know, she could be behind all this. Tifa's heart fluttered, and she bit down onto Tadrith's cold, pale hand. He yelped in pain and Tifa took the moment to yell out to her friends.  
  
"Cid! I'm in trouble, please-" A sudden blow to Tifa's face knocked the thoughts right out of her. She didn't pass out, as she was strong to such painful blows, but it had stung very badly, causing a single tear to trail down her porcelain cheek.  
  
Tadrith grasped his arms around Tifa, pinning her arms to her sides painfully, and walked down the hallway, away from the angry shouts ans useless banging on the door.  
  
Around another turn in the hallway, Tadrith turned and kicked open the door to his personal bedchambers- a very over spacious room with high ceilings, a four poster, canopied bed, towering windows with velvet drapery; it was practically a house in itself. He threw Tifa towards the bed, and her body landed harshly on the blankets and pillows strewn across the top of the huge mattress.  
  
Tadrith slammed the door closed and turned, taking large, spacing, angry steps to where Tifa picked herself up on top of his bed. He stopped before her and reached a long, masculine arm out and surrounded her throat with his long, clawed fingers. He shoved her back down violently to the bed, her back pressing into the soft mattress with Tadrith's brute force.  
  
Tifa looked up into his enraged eyes, feeling the darkness pour out of them in their deep, charcoal-crimson fury. His lips were pulled back into a vicious snarl, revealing his canine fangs. Tifa winced, feeling his hot acrid breath brush against her skin as he leaned forward, staring into her eyes with poisoned darts of death.  
  
"You're mine, Tifa." He reached down a hand and violently pulled her long, crimson gown up as Tifa gasped in agonizing defeat. His grip on her throat remained strong, pressing his unnatural claws into her skin, trickling with tiny drops of warm blood. Tears began to well in Tifa's fearful gaze, wishing this all to be over with already.  
  
Just as Tadrith slipped his hand up her trembling thigh, a cold, demanding voice snapped his attention away from the terrified girl.  
  
"Stop. Right. There."  
  
Tadrith's dark eyes met those of the coldest blue, seeming like deep pools of liquid ice. Those eyes matched the mood that was reflected from the young man; cold cruelty, furious surprise and revenge.  
  
Tadrith smiled faintly, masking his rage from being removed from his beloved little dove, once again. "So you must be the young man Tifa kept blindly referring to."  
  
The young man scowled, his head lowered in a stance of anger, holding his large, unseemly sword before him with a strength that must have been incredibly unreal. "Let go of her. Now."  
  
"I'm afraid you've come at a very bad time. We were just becoming.. More acquainted." A malicious smile filled Tadrith's pale face. He looked down at Tifa, whose eyes were as wide as soft rose petals. He smiled down at her, and pulled his hand away from her throat. His smile slowly faded to an unsatisfactory frown as he drew back his hand and struck Tifa. She had responded quickly in defense, and leaned her head to the side, leaving Tadrith's clawed hand to slash across her neck, leaving long jagged trails of red in it's wake.  
  
She cried out in pain, then laid there, unmoving as the blood from her wounds trickled softly down her skin, leaving tiny stains on the blanket underneath her still form.  
  
As soon as Tadrith's hand made contact, Cloud rushed forward in violent rage to cleave the madman before him in two. Tadrith merely smiled twirled to the side in a darting movement too quick to be seen, and Cloud stopped himself in mid swing, nearly slicing into Tifa's lifeless body.  
  
Cloud's heart skipped many beats, feeling the panic rise in his throat as he thought he wouldn't be able to stop his sword in time to save her. It had stopped a few inches above her face, and Cloud mentally ridiculed himself for being so brash. He pulled his sword back as sweat trickled down his already moist forehead, and turned his icy glare to the man who had struck Tifa.  
  
He was bent down on one knee, his back slightly hunched forward, supporting his weight on his hands. He slowly looked up at Cloud with a menacing glare, and stood up just as deliberately slow, letting his towering height above the younger man settle for intimidation.  
  
Cloud's face showed no changing emotion; not fear, surprise, disgust or anything of the sort. Just anger, cold, simple and pure. Inside, though, Cloud's heart was furiously pounding, his blood rushing through his veins in vigorous effort. /This man is huge.. And -fast-.. I've never seen anyone dodge my attack that fast in my entire life.. Tifa.. If he's done -anything- to her, I swear to God../  
  
Cloud flexed his grip around the worn handle of his buster sword, his senses tingling like they always did before a major battle. The tension between the two men hung in the air like dense humidity, their eyes locked in vengeful anger. The tall, pale man reached slowly into the inside of his large, black coat and pulled forth two slender daggers, each about a foot and a half long and three inches wide, their silver metal gleaming in the dim light of the large room.  
  
/Did he plan on fighting someone in here? Or... was he saving those for Tifa../ Cloud's mind pondered angrily. /Whatever the matter, they don't look very strong./  
  
"So, you've come to rescue the 'damsel in distress'." The taller man said, his voice deep and smooth, nearly bordering insanity. "Let's see if your as much a hero as your dear girl hopes you to be." Tadrith leapt forward with lightning speed, swinging one of the daggers lethally towards Cloud's open throat, but the younger man caught the motion and parried swiftly with his flat, broad blade. A metallic "clink" echoed through the large room.  
  
/I don't understand how he can maneuver that abomination of a sword so quickly. It should be too heavy to move as he does; taking away my advantage./ Tadrith thought vainly, looking for weaknesses.  
  
Cloud locked his eyes on Tadrith, studying and waiting for every move, looking for a soft spot or a way to distract him..  
  
Tadrith darted forward, snarling and slashed his left dagger down at Cloud's thigh, then slid around Cloud's back to slice at his throat once again. Cloud, however, managed to deflect both moves, one with his blade and the other with the hard metal handle of his Buster sword.  
  
/Damn he's fast../ Cloud thought in contempt.  
  
Tadrith didn't stop there; he lashed forward in a false motion as if about to jab at Cloud's face, then as the young man lifted the blade in defense, Tadrith knelt down and performed a low round-house kick to the back of Cloud's legs, sending him tumbling to the ground.  
  
Tadrith smiled triumphantly and quickly jumped up, throwing one of his daggers to the floor where Cloud's quickly beating heart awaited. As the small blade whirled towards him, Cloud somersaulted backwards and to his feet just as the blade landed where he had lain, not moments before. Cloud didn't wait, he instantly swung the weight of his blade forward as Tadrith darted backwards, barely missing his stomach.  
  
All the while he moved, Tadrith's long coat fluttered behind him like a pitch shadow, adding to the sound of flustered grunts and metallic clinks every time their blades met.  
  
When Cloud found the advantage, he held his sword in front of him defensively and bent to pluck the dagger from the floor, then with a quick flick of his wrist, the small blade was slicing through the air towards Tadrith, and the tall man arched his back, missing the spinning edge by mere centimeters. It did, however, slice through the coat, leaving a jagged hole in it's place. He whirled around in a flash and grabbed the handle of the dagger as it flew past him, then turned to face Cloud again, kneeling down on one knee.  
  
The younger man was already upon him, and Tadrith leaned forward to slash both of his gleaming daggers into the flesh of his opponent, but as his blades sliced forward, Cloud leapt high into the air, soaring over Tadrith's head, and landed with a strong 'thud' on the floor behind the unsuspecting stranger. Smiling, Cloud swung his great sword towards Tadrith's neck, but the man twirled around in an awkward position and met the blow with both of his daggers.  
  
The two strained against the others strength, their eyes flaring with anger. Both of them were breathing hard from the effort, sweat trickling down their famished skin.  
  
/I won't be able to finish him alone../ Cloud thought, his jaw tightly clenched. /I need Tifa../ His eyes remained on the man in front of him, not wanting to give any hints to his intentions.  
  
Tadrith smiled, knowing his strength far outweighed the younger one. With a harsh growl, Tadrith pushed his daggers forward, shoving away Cloud's gigantic steel blade.  
  
Cloud took this moment and called out, "Tifa! Life2!"  
  
Tadrith's eyes flicked over to where Tifa laid, watching as she slowly sat up, rubbing at the clotted and surly painful wounds on her neck.  
  
Cloud quickly took the initiative and swung his sword at the unsuspecting man. Unfortunately his sword was twisted the wrong way, and the flat side of his blade landed a hard blow to Tadrith's back, sending the man sprawling to the floor with a painful yelp. He didn't get up, as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Cloud?" Tifa's voice called out softly, her eyes looking painfully in his direction.  
  
Cloud rushed to her side and hugged tighter then he ever had before. She embraced him back, feeling the emotion of happiness fill her heart once more. They stayed there for a moment, un-speaking and unmoving, just holding each other.  
  
After a long, precious moment, Cloud finally pulled away and gazed into Tifa's crimson eyes, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her lovely face. "Tifa, are you ok? Did he hurt you? What happened?"  
  
Tifa took his hands in hers, and traced his cheek softly, as if to make sure she wasn't dreaming, that he really -was- here, and that they could go home and forget this ever happened. "Cloud, I'm so sorry.. I'm.. I'm fine, I guess.. he hasn't been able to do anything to me-"  
  
At those words, Cloud pulled Tifa's body to him yet again, feeling the worry and strain lift away from his tired body. "I'm sorry I left you, Tifa, I'm sorry for all of this.. But please, let's get out of here. Explanations will be saved for when we're safe and out of this place."  
  
They reluctantly pulled away from each other, only pausing to look wistfully into each other's eyes. They had both been through so much up until now, but they were together again, and both felt a renewed strength swell inside of their hearts.  
  
Cloud stood, pulling Tifa wearily to her feet, examining her fully for the first time since he arrived. When he saw her crimson gown fall to the floor, his eyes widened with surprise. "So it WAS you!" He exclaimed.  
  
Tifa looked into his Mako blue eyes, confused.  
  
"I saw you sprinting down the hallway, at that intersection a while ago. That's when I followed you here.."  
  
Tifa's eyes widened, blushing at her haste. "That was you?! I heard a noise and panicked, thinking it was Tadrith." Cloud followed her gaze to the body on the floor, assuming it was him that she called 'Tadrith'. She grabbed Cloud's tired arm and pulled him toward the door. "Come on, let's get out of here before he wakes up."  
  
The two of them left the room quickly, and into the maze of hallways. Cloud led her in the direction of where he remembered the exits to be.  
  
"Dare I ask why you're in that dress?" Cloud questioned, eyeing her in a sideways, curious glance.  
  
Tifa felt a blush creep across her face again, and she pursed her lips. She hugged his arm tightly. "It's.. A long story."  
  
She stopped suddenly, tugging Cloud to a surprised halt, and he looked down at her with worry etched across his handsome, young features. She had a look of revelation on her face. "I forgot! Cid and some of the others are trapped here too! They're locked in some room, we have to go get them."  
  
"Where are they?" Cloud inquired, feeling even more dread fill his already weary heart.  
  
"They're back this wa-"  
  
Before Tifa could even finish her words, she was being yanked back by a tall, shadowy figure from behind them. Cloud twirled around in astonishment and gazed up at the wicked man, who now held Tifa in his grasp. Blood trickled down his pale chin from when Cloud had delivered the nasty blow to his back.  
  
"Isn't this a pleasurable surprise."  
  
Tadrith's massive arms were wrapped around Tifa's shoulders, pressing her back to him. "You're not going anywhere, my dear." He sneered down at her. But she had had enough. Summoning as much strength as she could, she laid a massive blow into Tadrith's stomach with her elbow, followed by a backwards uppercut into the soft flesh under Tadrith's jaw. His grip loosened just enough and she fled to Cloud's side.  
  
In a yell of rage, Tadrith staggered forward to grab Tifa, but Cloud leapt forward, protectively standing in between. Tadrith's eyes flashed in violent anger as he instead darted his hand out to Cloud, gripping his collar with a mighty fist. Tadrith's fingers stretched and tore the fabric with his inhuman claws and lifted the younger man into the air.  
  
Cloud hopelessly kicked at the air, teetering his arms about to keep balanced, struggling to keep a grip on his Buster sword. With a burst of strength, Tadrith flung the man listlessly down the hall. Cloud's body rolled to a stop, his great sword landing a couple feet away.  
  
Tadrith reached behind him and pulled out his twin daggers, threateningly gleaming. He motioned his throw towards Cloud's heart.  
  
"Cloud! The daggers!" Tifa yelled as the gleaming metal whirled as fast as lightning towards Cloud's body.  
  
He managed to roll just barely enough to get out of the way, the two blades landing within inches of where Cloud had just been not a few moments ago. One apparently struck him for he let out a sharp cry of pain, but moments later, he was picking himself up off of the floor.  
  
Tifa's gaze went from Cloud to Tadrith, the anger and frustration and pure hatred gleaming in her crimson orbs. She reached down and began to pull at the fabric of her long dress. She wasn't going to be pinned down by this thing anymore. A tear formed in the crimson velvet, and Tifa worked it up, tearing the entire bottom half of her gown off, leaving it to end just a little above her mid thigh. It was now just as short as her normal combat skirt, with her heavy black boots.  
  
She instantly ran towards Tadrith's swaggering body, feeling the glorious freedom of her legs. She landed a couple sharp jabs into his stomach, which didn't seem to even faze the man, so she kicked her heel hard into his kneecap, bending it backwards slightly in a very odd angle. Tadrith hissed in pain and reached out his arms. He grabbed Tifa's shoulders, stopping her punches, and brought his face down to hers.  
  
"I wouldn't want to fuck your dead corps, Tifa. No, I much prefer to have you alive, so I can feel you struggle beneath my grasp." He whispered harshly, sneering terribly at her.  
  
Her eyes were wide with disgust and horror, wishing to spew forth bile on his nasty, pale face. She didn't let it get to her, however, and with a burst of energy, she manipulated Tadrith's grip on her and used it to catapult herself over the top of his head, gracefully flipping around and landing on the ground behind him.  
  
She immediately jabbed her Premium Heart gloves into the small of his back, sending waves of pain through his body from the tenderness Cloud had caused with his steel sword. Tifa smiled inwardly, and jumped, whirling around in a high round-house kick, smashing her heavily booted heel into the back of Tadrith's neck. He gasped from the blow, staggering forward a step.  
  
She took the opportunity to look up at Cloud, and saw him painfully bend down to pluck the deadly daggers from the floor. She was suddenly overcome by inspiration, and pursed her lips, concentrating hard on her new goal.  
  
Tadrith whirled around to face her, swinging his long arms out to grab at her slender form, but she was quick and ready, dodging his every attempt. When the chance was given, she kicked him flatly in the stomach, furiously following up with a series of sharp hits and punches to his chest and shoulders.  
  
She let out a growl of rage as she leapt up at Tadrith, punching the left side of his face with her clenched fist followed by her a blow from her elbow, jerking it back harshly into the right side of his face, immediately chained with a harsh punch with her left fist straight into the center of his nose, resounding with a satisfactory crunch. Tadrith grabbed at his face in agony as blood dripped from his newly broken nose.  
  
Tifa looked to Cloud quickly, who was now right behind Tadrith. Big mistake; Tadrith seized the opportunity and grabbed Tifa's arms with an iron grip. Tifa struggled, but couldn't move as Tadrith leaned in his face right in front of hers. His eyes emitted an eeriness that rivaled the darkest of night, with such a violent anger and hatred that she felt like it burnt into her very soul. Blood was trickling down his nose and out of the corners of his mouth as he sneered evilly at her.  
  
"It looks like the girl can no longer fight me." Blood spattered out of his mouth, his voice rolling out like thunder, deep and vicious.  
  
"Not quite." Tifa said, and with a powerful burst of strength, she thrust her body upwards into a midair back flip, his clawed grip tearing at her flesh as her arms twisted around, sending her boot into the tender flesh underneath Tadrith's jaw. His whole body reeled backwards as Tifa landed on her feet in front of him, watching as he stumbled backwards...  
  
...Right into the blades of his own daggers. Cloud held them outwards, thrusting them deeper into the taller man's back. Tadrith's face held the expression of astonishment and confusion, as if it wasn't meant to be like this. He blinked, looking down at the once clean blades that now protruded from his chest and stomach at odd angles.  
  
Tifa wasn't satisfied. With an outraged cry, she leapt towards Tadrith and kicked her heel upwards and into the soft flesh of his throat, holding it there firmly while staring into his dark, unbelieving eyes. He blinked at her.  
  
"Good bye." She stated simply, and twisted her foot in such a small, simple way that it turned his head, the loud, disgusting snap of his neck echoing through the dimly lit hallways.  
  
Cloud staggered back, letting the lifeless body of Tadrith Shin-Ra fall to the floor, and rushed forward to catch Tifa just before she fell to the floor with exhaustion. Cradling her in his arms, he slowly sat both of them down to the floor, pulling Tifa to lay against his chest. He soothingly wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his neck, both of their hearts beating faster then wings of a hummingbird.  
  
After a moment of holding each other, Cloud finally pulled away to look into Tifa's weary crimson eyes. He held her cheek tenderly with one hand and gazed deeply into her soul, and she responded by placing her warm, soft hand on top of his. Their fingers laced together lovingly as Cloud leaned forward the slightest bit to kiss her lips softly and gently.  
  
"Are you ok.. Tifa?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Tifa gazed deeply into his ice blue eyes, feeling his concern and worry. Just feeling his arms around her like this made her heart flutter; to feel his lips was a dream.../But I'm not dreaming. Cloud really came back for me, and saved me from this hell.../ She smiled softly up at the handsome young man.  
  
"I am now," She pressed her body against his, yearning for his warmth and tenderness. "Now that you're here." She felt tears threaten to spill down her cheeks. Wether it was for happiness with Cloud, happiness that Tadrith was finally gone, or just the fear and worry finally taking face, she didn't know. She didn't care, either. Her Cloud was here.  
  
Cloud tenderly stroked her hair when heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway, followed by an all-too familiar voice. "Well, I'll be damned. The punk ass really did make it!" Cid came to a stop, standing before them and smiling widely, CaitSith and Vincent appearing behind him.  
  
Cloud reluctantly stood to his feet, reaching down a hand to help Tifa up. As soon as they were safely to their feet, Cid's smile disappeared as he rushed towards Cloud and grabbed the scruff of his shirt with a fist of anger.  
  
"Just what the hell took you so long!?! What could'a POSSIBLY caused you to take your sweet damn time gettin' here?!?! Huh? Answer me!!"  
  
Cloud just gazed at the man with amazement and fear, unable to answer, as CaitSith hopped up next to Cid, tapping him politely on the shoulder. "Calm down, Cid." He said quietly. "You'll have your precious smoke's soon. Don't blame Cloud for your withdrawal problems." Cait smiled, satisfyingly.  
  
Cid just glared at the damn cat, then looked away, crossing his arms with his nose held high in the air, in apparent detest.  
  
Vincent stepped forward, gazing at the body of Tadrith with his calm, dark crimson orbs. "I take it you guys took care of everything?" His voice was smooth and darkly soothing.  
  
Tifa smiled at him, grateful to see her dear friend alive and well. "Yeah. No sweat." Sarcasm dripped from her words, as she reached tenderly for the large wounds on her neck, still throbbing with pain.  
  
Vincent's eyes glittered with what looked to be a smile. "I was kind of hoping you would have left a piece for me."  
  
Tifa pointed to the body on the floor with a look of disgust and hate on her face. "There; have at it."  
  
Vincent closed his eyes, bowing his head slightly as he let out a low, melodious chuckle.  
  
"By the way, how did you guys get out of there?" Tifa asked, suddenly remembering that they were all locked behind the steel enforced door. "Is there anyone else here?"  
  
"Naw, it's just us three." CaitSith said with his usual casino accent. "It wasn't easy, and it's a looong story. One to share with your grandchildren around a cozy fireplace, away from this place. Far away. Very far away."  
  
Cid 'hmphed' in the background, his arms still crossed. "I'll tell ya what wasn't easy. Getting that damn enraged demon back into our good ol' calm, expressionless Vincent. Being locked in a room with that mad thing.. Alone.." He visibly shivered. "Now that'll mess ya up for life."  
  
Cloud smiled and looked around at everyone. They all shared the same symptoms as he; fatigue, hunger, thirst, and mental drainage. He rest his gaze on Tifa, and looked over the cuts, scrapes and bruises all over her skin. Other than those, she looked stunning; her tight fitting crimson dress was now cut off at her mid thigh, the thin black straps hugging her soft shoulders, and how her hair suspended elegantly above them. A few strands of hair had broken free from their fight, but it made her look all the more beautiful. Her heavy black boots and black fighting gloves gave her femininity a tough edge, one that he liked very much.  
  
/It's amazing how she can go into a fight, and come out still looking so beautiful and radiant, with that warming smile of hers../ Cloud realized everyone was staring at him staring at -her-, and coughed in a fake fashion, feeling his cheeks warm instantly in a blush.  
  
"Well, uh, we should.. probably head to Kalm now and.. sort our thoughts on what to do next." Cloud stated in his "leader" tone of voice. The others nodded in understanding and began to head to the front foyer of the house, ready to leave this hell hole of a mansion.  
  
Tifa stayed behind and hugged Cloud's arm, looking up at his handsome face with admiration. "You never fail to lead us, even in the most unexpected moments. It's natural to you, Cloud." She smiled at him reassuringly, letting him see how proud and sure she was of him.  
  
"Tifa.." He wrapped his arms around her tightly and embraced her in another warm hug, feeling her petite body against his as her arms slid around his back. He sighed, feeling content, feeling whole, pure, and happy all over again, just like before with...  
  
His heart stopped with realization, and his body went rigid. Tifa felt it right away, and pulled back slowly to look into his frozen eyes.  
  
"Cloud? Are you ok?" Worry began to beat at her heart once again, as she felt it flutter inside her.  
  
His mouth merely whispered a few words in return, feeding her heart a whole new horrible feeling.  
  
"Aeris.. I've got to hurry back to her.."  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
[A/N: Yes! Finally, Cloud comes to the rescue. But just when the moment gets sweet... well, see what happens in the next chapter. ^.^ The next one might be the last one, but we'll see if I can come up with something else at the last minute; maybe another nice lil twist. ^.^ Hehe, thanks to all who have reviewed and continue to give their support ^.^ Hang in there, it's almost done XD Beleive me, you're encouragment and compliments and even critisism mean the world to me, so keep 'em coming! ] 


	12. The Final Evening

[A/N: Alright people, one more chapter after this and it's the end. I should be finished typing it up within a couple days, so expect to see it *soon* :D Thanks to EVERYONE who has read and/or reviewed, you'll always have a place in my lil story writing heart :D welp, enjoy the reading ^.^ ]  
  
[oh, oh, little side note here: The '~*~*~*~' signifies a flashback, okie? okie ^.^ v Read on!]  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
Tifa kept her eyes on the ground as she clung on to the back of Cloud, while atop his gold chocobo, Matrix. He was headed north, and with fierce determination. When he had mentioned Aeris' name in the hallway not too long ago, she had felt as if an anvil had fallen onto her heart. She couldn't respond, didn't know what to say. All she knew was that Cloud had taken a hold of her hand and was quickly rushing her out the door, proclaiming "Hurry! I've got to get back to her before I lose her forever."  
  
/I had gotten my hopes up too high. I should have known.. I thought he was finally going to be happy with me.. But I was wrong. I guess my love's just not good enough./ She refused to cry, not wanting Cloud to see her in such a weak state, and not wanting him to see the pain she was in. She didn't want him coming back to her just because he pitied her. /No, I've got to stay strong. At least... until he finally leaves with her./  
  
When Cid and the others had asked where they were going, Cloud simply told them with a smile that he was going to the Chocobo Sage to get some more greens for the famished Matrix. Cid offered to take them on the HighWind, that it would be much faster, yet Cloud turned him down again, stating modestly that he wanted some time alone with Tifa. Cid smiled and waved a goodbye at that moment, shouting that he'd see the two later, in about 3 years after he'd made up for his lost sleep.  
  
Cloud's ambiguity confused Tifa, yet his behavior made perfect sense as well. /He doesn't want the others to ridicule him for leaving me, and he's only taking me because it's probably going to be our last time together. He'll apologize, tell me that he'll always have a spot for me in his heart, and then disappear from my life forever./  
  
Tifa tightened her grip around Cloud's chest and laid her head against his back, already feeling the pain stinging at her heart. /Why am I just sitting here like this? I should demand to know why! Why after all this time is he leaving me for a dead girl?/ She took that comment back, not wishing to take her anger out on her dearly departed friend, Aeris. /After all we've been through, from Nibelheim to the Meteor.. Even through Sephiroth. I should tell him he can't go, that he can't leave me because -I- love him, and that I always have!/ Her fingers unconsciously gripped Cloud's shirt.  
  
He furrowed his brows and took a quick glance back at her. "Tifa, you ok?"  
  
She didn't hear him; she was too lost in thought. Her inner controversy was twisting inside of her mind like a violent storm. She felt as if she was caught on a tiny, lonely island in the middle of this horrid tempest. No matter which way she went, or how big of a bridge she built, she was doomed all around. /I can't just yell at him like that./ She sighed as she remembered his endless nights of torment. /I love him, but that doesn't mean he loves me the same way in return. He told me he did.. But since the return of Aeris, that's changed. I can't scorn him for something he doesn't -feel-.. That's the simple, unending strife of a locked heart./  
  
Cloud pulled Matrix to a halt and turned to look at Tifa, who seemed deeply troubled. He had been too busy with his own inner turmoil to think of hers.. /Perhaps she doesn't want to be with me like this.. Maybe I should of let her stay with the others instead of dragging her along. Maybe it was against her will. Damnit, why do I let myself get so caught up in the moment like that?/  
  
"Tifa," Cloud repeated himself with a hint of worry in his smooth voice. "Is everything ok?"  
  
She couldn't bare to look up into his crystalline eyes. She remained huddled against his back, hugging him tightly. Cloud slipped one of his hands up and placed it on top of hers, comfortingly. "Cloud.. How... could you leave me like that.." She barely managed above a whisper.  
  
Cloud felt his heart sink at the sound of her pained voice. Guilt was ridden all over him, and flourished in his mind. He tried to think of a response, not wanting her to feel as bad as she did. /And it's all my fault. But.. Aeris.. I... I don't know what to do.../  
  
Giving up on anything to say, after a long moment of silence, Cloud brought Tifa's hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, whispering back to her, "I'm so sorry Tifa. I.. I don't know how to apologize enough." He wanted to explain everything about Aeris, about what she meant to him and how his feelings.. /No, I couldn't. It would just hurt her more, and I would just sound like I was making excuses./ He sighed heavily, slowly starting off Matrix again.  
  
The air temperature began to drop as they neared the north. /Of course this is where she'd be. After all, this is where she died.. In the home of her people./ Tifa thought with a shiver. She was most definitely not dressed for this weather, and felt the chill in the air easily overwhelm her skin. She instinctively cuddled closer to Cloud for warmth.  
  
After realizing Tifa's dilemma Cloud brought Matrix to another stop and got off, and without a word, climbed back on with Tifa in front of him, allowing him to wrap his arms around the young girl to keep her warm. /And just because I want to be close../ He thought, resting his chin on her bare shoulder. /I hope she doesn't mind../  
  
Tifa, on the other hand, felt on the verge of tears. She pressed herself into him, straining for the last of his touch. As she looked ahead, she could see the large mountains of the North come to view over the horizon. Not long after the tall, tightly packed trees began to sprout into view. Tifa sighed, knowing that this was finally it. Oh, how she prayed this day would never come.. Yet here it was, and she was here to witness it right before her eyes. Ironically enough, it was such a beautiful place.  
  
She hugged Cloud's arms around her, and with her last stable breath, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I love you Cloud."  
  
The words struck his heart by surprise. He didn't expect them, least of all now, and found himself again overcome by guilt. Yet, he submitted to his true feelings, and with a brush of his lips to her soft cheek, he whispered in return, "I love you too, Tifa."  
  
Tifa bit her lip to control her emotions. They wanted to flood out of her in every way possible. She wanted to hug and kiss him, yet at the same time wanted to hit or break something.  
  
As Matrix finally stopped in front of Bone Village, the couple dismounted with an exhausted effort. Neither of them had slept in days.. Yet here they were, still pushing the limit. Possibly for the last time.  
  
Cloud took Tifa's hand while keeping his arms around her, not for the sake of warmth, but to feel her next to him. He led her silently to the entrance of the Sleeping Forrest, taking slow, deliberate steps. He knew he was risking it by taking his time like this, but for the moment, it was well worth it.  
  
He stopped her gently when he reached the entrance to the great, dark forest. He looked down at Tifa, who seemed to hold the greatest sadness in her eyes. He tried to smile for her, and took both of her hands in his facing her directly.  
  
"Well, this is it, Tifa."  
  
She didn't respond, only looking into his beautiful, ice blue eyes, mimicking his facade of a smile. She squeezed his hands.  
  
"Do you want to go with, or, do you want to stay here?" He asked hesitantly. His words seemed to stick in his throat, as if he was supposed to really say something else, but he just didn't quite know what it was.  
  
Tifa looked down at the ground, biting furiously at her lip, desperately hiding her emotions deep inside, as she had learned to do from Cloud. Only, she wasn't so good at masking it.  
  
Cloud sighed deeply, then took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. Inside, all he could think about was if Aeris was still there. /God, I hope I made it in time.. I hope it's not too late../  
  
He turned to start leaving, feeling the urgency of making it back to his flower girl, when small hands suddenly darted forward to grab his arm. He turned back in surprise to see Tifa's moist, pleading eyes. A silent tear slid down her soft, lovely cheek from those darkly burdened crimson eyes.  
  
"Cloud, please.. don't go."   
  
He could hear the soft sobs in her voice, and how she desperately tried to hold them inside.  
  
He quickly threw his arms around her, pulling her petite body close to his. She embraced him back, hugging him just as hard while burying her face in his strong neck. He softly stroked her hair, feeling the strong urge to protect her from any harm, physical and emotional.  
  
"Tifa.." He started, feeling his own words choke in his throat. "I.. When I found Aeris a couple days ago, she told me that her time to stay here was running out. She told me about how, like her ancestors, she had to travel to the Promised Land. She told be about how lonely it is there and how sad she is, now that she's gone from me.. from us. She told me that she's able to bring one person that she deeply cared about with her, to the Promised Land, where happiness and fulfillment will be eternal. With her.. Who could refuse?"  
  
Cloud pulled away, just the slightest, to gaze into Tifa's tearful, wine colored eyes. Already she had accepted this fate. She had figured these events out long ago, and had already locked her heart to it. Cloud smiled, suddenly realizing what had been causing her so much pain. He had been too consumed with Aeris to ever see...  
  
"Tifa, she asked me to come with her." He looked down sadly, guilt written all over his handsome face. His eyelids drooped with a heaviness she had never seen before, and his lips curved in a troubled frown.  
  
Tifa only smiled sadly up at him, already having accepted this. She reached up tenderly to touch his cheek and gently moved a strand of hair from his moist forehead. The pain was clear in her voice. "It's alright Cloud, I know. I understand."  
  
Cloud slowly shook his head in disagreement.  
  
"No, Tifa. I chose to stay with you."  
  
She merely blinked several times, feeling her heart open up and flourish yet again. A single fresh tear fell forward from her beautiful eyes, reflecting the first stars of twilight. She could hardly comprehend what he had said.  
  
"W..what?"  
  
"The answer was simple, and already locked into my heart. I can't leave you behind, you're my world and sky. Here with you far transcends the Promised Land. With you is where I belong, Tifa."  
  
Cloud could see the heavens within her eyes, and knew that finally he had set things straight, that finally he had told her what he should have long ago. As much as he wanted to stay and -show- her how much he loved her, he remembered that he had to hurry before Aeris disappeared forever.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Besides, you still owe me that one date, remember? This one will just.. Take a while."  
  
"Aeris.. My heart belongs to Tifa. It always has.. It's just.. Taken me a long time to realize that."  
  
"Oh, I see.."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't go. I need to stay and take care of her as she did for me. I hate to see you alone, but after all I've put Tifa through, I can't just abandon her like that. She's everything to me, and my heart won't give her up. Because of me.. She's gone. Nobody know's where she disappeared to, but I know it's because of my ignorance.. I need to find her, before something happens that I can't take back. If she's in trouble, then I can't just leave her behind."  
  
"Well, at least... when you find her, come back here and tell me if everything is well. If you're happy here, Cloud, then I couldn't possibly ask you to leave. But I must urge you to hurry.."  
  
"Aeris.."  
  
"I'm really going to miss you."  
  
"I already do."  
  
"Okay, Cloud. Please be careful, and come back to me soon. I don't have much longer."  
  
"I promise you, Aeris. As soon as I find her, I'll come back for you, before it's too late. I love you, Aeris.."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Cloud looked at Tifa, remembering what he had said when he found Aeris. /I can't be late now,/ He thought to himself.  
  
"Tifa, I have to go see her again before she has to go. I'm sorry, I promised her I'd come back as soon as I found you.." Cloud searched her eyes for any sign of distress or sadness.  
  
Tifa smiled up at him, feeling a complete reversal from moments before. She couldn't even put into words how her heart leapt to the heavens when he told her he wanted her, that he -needed- her. She just hugged him tightly, wishing she could stay there forever.  
  
Hugging her back just as close, Cloud continued, "Do you want to come with?"  
  
Tifa reluctantly declined. "No, Cloud. You deserve the time with her, after all you've been through."  
  
"You've been through a lot too, you know." Cloud kissed her forehead.  
  
"Don't worry about me right now. I'll be find. Just go find her, Cloud. Keep your promise, as you did for me." She let go of his warmth and stepped back.  
  
Cloud smiled back at her one last time, then whispered, "Thank you, Tif.." And without another word, he disappeared into the darkening forest.  
  
Tifa watched until the last sight of him faded away from view, then sat down, hugging her knees. She gazed up at the stars, her heart feeling as if a part of them. She felt happy, but still with a bit of worry for Cloud and Aeris. She felt bad for Aeris. One of them was going to be let down, and unfortunately for the Cetra, it was Aeris. /She get's to live in the Promised Land, though.. I'm -sure- she couldn't remain lonely for long. I hope not, anyways. What's paradise without the one you love?/  
  
Tifa pondered back, and remembered the jet black spikes of Zack. /He had died, too. I wonder if Aeris can find him there... he's in the Life Stream, after all. Cloud only manifested Zack's personality into his own after the trauma with Shin-Ra../ She sighed in spite of herself. /I hope she finds him./  
  
She was so deeply in thought that she didn't hear the pair of footsteps coming towards her from behind. Before she knew it, she was being grabbed by two rough hands, feeling all too familiar. She gasped.  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
[Alrighty people, one more to go. I'll post it soon, so keep an eye out ^.^ I'ma make it nice and fluffy :D so until the next chapter, see-ya laters ^.^ v and again, thanks SO much to you who review, *sniffs* you make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. Please... review and tell me watcha think ^.^ ]  
  
::waves:: hi!! 


	13. Unlocked at Last

[A/N: Well, here it is people. The last chapter :D A little side note, if any of you are offended by strong sexual situations, turn back now XD Well, at least after the Epilogue. After this, I'm probably going to write a Vincent/Tifa fic... I'd love to write a Sephy/Tifa, but right now there are so many people writing them, so I'd like to stick to doing something a little different. Anyways, for all of you who have reviewed, thank you sooo much, and even to all of you who read but not review. Thanks for giving my story the attention!! I hope you guys liked this, and I hope the ending appeals to you, as well. Well, until my next story, See ya! Please do me a little favor, review and tell me what ya thought ^.^ ]  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
  
Finally feeling thoroughly warm for the first time in what seemed like ages, Tifa looked around the comfortable settings of the simple cavern she was in.  
  
"I'm sorry again, miss. I didn't mean to scare you like that back there." A strong, older man said. He introduced himself as Mike, a worker on the dig site they were in.  
  
"It's alright. I've just.. had a rough week, that's all." Tifa smiled comfortingly at him. When she had realized her new company was a normal person, and not some bizarre creature returned from the dead, she had relaxed and accepted Mike's offer to stay in their cavern; a temporary home for the workers.  
  
After handing Tifa a glass of soda, (which Tifa received all too graciously) Mike sat next to her on one of the wooden stools around a table in the back of the room. "So, what brings you here? Here lately, we've been noticing a lot of kids coming to these woods. It started back when the Meteor was hangin' in the sky, and ever since.." He trailed off, taking a swallow of his own beverage.  
  
Tifa smiled to herself, knowing exactly who these "kids" were. "Well, it's a long story... I guess to put it shortly, my boyfriend and I lost a very close friend here some time ago."  
  
Mike nodded in understanding. "Lot's of people get lost in those woods. Despite our warning, people seem to go filin' in there, anyway. There's supposed to be some kinda city back there, that used to flourish with the prodigious Ancients." He smiled politely. "I wouldn't doubt you've heard of it by now."  
  
Tifa smiled in return and then turned her crimson gaze down into her glass. She willingly went along with his statements, acting like an innocent bystander. She didn't want to get into a long, complex conversation about her past.  
  
Mike swirled his glass and continued, softly. "Here lately we've been seeing a girl back in there. She wears the same thing everyday, a pink dress.. Some of the workers here have gone far enough to say she's a ghost of some kind. We're starting to think that maybe the kids have been going back there for her." Realization struck him and he looked up at Tifa. "Say.. She wouldn't be that friend of yours, is she?"  
  
As he looked upon the young lady, her head was held low and her eyes were closed. She was smiling softly, and answered back. "Yeah. That would be her. Her name is.. Aeris."  
  
Mike's eyes went wide with surprise. "Aeris? You mean the last living Ancient? That helped saved the planet?"  
  
Tifa merely nodded her head. Understanding fulfilled Mike as he realized who the girl sitting before her was, and who the man that was with her was as well. He didn't say anymore, not wanting to upset Tifa any further or continue to bombard her with a million questions like she probably already had.  
  
After a moment of silence, though, Mike finally looked up at her, smiling gently, and said in a soft voice, "Thank you."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Cloud laid back against one of many living, green trees. He grasped at his head, his heart heavy and sodden. /No.. It can't be too late../ He had searched in vain for hours, stumbling blindly around the dense forest. When he was here before, Aeris appeared to him nearly right away, but this time she was no where to be found.  
  
Cloud's legs were aching and his lungs stung with every breathe, his body finally giving in to the stress and fatigue. As much as he wanted, no, -needed- to push on, his body just wouldn't do it. He closed his eyelids slowly, fighting them to stay open, fighting the urge to rest his weary limbs.  
  
Just as his eyelids clasped shut, he clenched his fists and with all his might, pushed himself up from his resting spot and to his feet. Staggering with every step, he pushed on, forcing his will to carry him forward.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Another hour of fruitless searching passed, and the body of the debilitated Cloud could take it no longer. With a groan and a forceful step, Cloud teetered wearily to the floor. He felt the ground rush up at him, expecting the feel the harsh impact of the cold, barren ground when suddenly his whole body felt lighter than air. His being was no longer falling.. he was -floating-, slowly down. And it wasn't the bleak ground he felt softly supporting where he should have fallen, instead, he felt the gentle warmth of another person catch him.  
  
He opened his mind's eye to look at the soft features of Aeris. He reached up to touch her face, feeling his mind waver in and out of consciousness. She smiled down at him warmly and placed a petite hand on his chest, whispering softly an ancient spell from her people, which instantly revitalized Cloud.  
  
Blinking, he sat up and hugged her. She said nothing, only hugging him back tightly. After a moment, she pulled away and looked into his refreshed blue eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry for taking so long, Cloud.. when you first arrived here, I stayed behind to watch Tifa. She was thinking about me.. Wishing that I didn't have to be alone." She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling sadly for her friend's concern. "She seemed cold, so I silently led one of the workers to her to take care of her."  
  
Cloud smiled thankfully up at Aeris, and hugged her again, tightly to his body. "Thank you, Aeris."  
  
"She.. She thought about Zack." Aeris continued, almost sadly. "His soul is in the Life Stream. I was thinking, that maybe if I had time I'd find him.." A tear slid down her smooth, soft cheek. "He's... he's no replacement for you, but-"  
  
Cloud took her hand in his and pressed it softly to his lips. "But at least you won't be lonely." Cloud's eyes reflected her sadness, only translating it from the depths of emerald to the shallowest of blue. "Aeris, I wasn't lying when I said I love you. You'll always be in my heart."  
  
She smiled in return, taking his face in her small, feminine hands and placed a delicate pink kiss on Cloud's forehead. "We all have to move on, though, right Cloud?"  
  
He looked into her eyes and smiled. He reached up to caress her cheek, yet was caught entirely off guard when his hand slipped right through her skin. He sat up in surprise, feeling the warmth of her lap fade away. "Aeris.."  
  
She closed her eyes and bowed her head. She spoke without moving her lips, her voice filling his mind and the beautiful green void around him. "It's time, Cloud."  
  
He tried one last time to reach out and touch her, yet to no avail. She in turn reached out to touch his cheek gently, yet all he felt was a warm, soft breath on his skin. She started to slowly drift into the air, and Cloud stood quickly to keep up with her.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Cloud." Aeris' voice said, filling the air.  
  
"You too, Aeris. Say hi to Zack for me, if you see him! I wish you luck, Aeris.."  
  
She continued to drift higher, and Cloud found himself reaching up for her as she became out of reach. Just before she disappeared completely from sight, he heard her voice resonate from every corner of his mind.  
  
"I love you, Cloud.. live well."  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
Hours had passed, and Tifa was sitting on the same stool as when she had first entered the warm little cavern. Mike had urged her to get some needed rest, yet she refused politely every time. She was worried for Cloud, worried about him being lost, getting hurt or running into trouble.  
  
Mike was clearly concerned for her condition, seeing how extremely exhausted she was. He had offered her some food, and she gladly accepted, along with some potions. None of them, however, could help her heart.  
  
The hours ticked away, well into the morning. Darkness still hung in the moist morning air, and Mike had left to start work with his friends and coworkers. It amazed Tifa how early those people got to work. And digging, of all things. /I bet they find lots of valuables from the Cetra that were left behind.. Living in a place with this much history, I would be out there, too, searching for the clues to the past../  
  
Tifa yawned lazily and laid her head down on the table before her. Her back by now was sore from the ungodly position she was in, but didn't have the motivation to move from her bodily fatigue. Her eyelids drooped heavily, begging to close for just a moment... /No! Stay awake Tifa.. Just a little longer../  
  
But she could no longer fight it. The quiet, dim stillness of the warm air was driving all her senses to rest. Her will gave in, and her eyelids fluttered closed.  
  
.x.x.x.  
  
She was clearly fighting to stay awake in her seemingly uncomfortable position in the back of the small cavern. Cloud smiled to himself, and quietly entered the place just when she laid her head down, closing her beautifully lashed eyes. He quietly neared her, listening to her soft breathing filling the still, silent air.  
  
Cloud quietly stepped up behind her and leaned down, softly pressing himself against her back, slipping his strong arms around her petite stomach. He leaned his face right next to hers and studied her sweet, feminine features. The shape of her closed eye and long, raven eyelashes, the curved of her delicious lips, the glide of her cheek and how her chocolate hair fell in neat tendrils around her face.  
  
He closed his eyes and breathed her in, feeling his heartbeat steady at the sweet smell of her. Her hair was like wild freesia, her skin like sweet peach. He then delved into her inner being, swimming past her beauty, and brushed against her mind. He saw how sweet and caring she was, how bright and touching she could be, her compassionate and desire and dedication, and most of all, her love.  
  
She was an angel to him, sent to take care of him despite the problems he often faced. He thought back on all the times he was in times of need, how she was almost always there for him, dedicating herself to him. She even abandoned all the others in such a desperate time, and all for what?  
  
What had he given to her in return after all that? /Because of her, I'm the real Cloud from Nibelheim, not some crazed experiment with the wrong memory./ He tightened his embrace around her and watched as her full eyelashes fluttered like the delicate wings of an ebony butterfly. Her eyes instantly trailed over to the face of Cloud, so close their noses touched as she turned her weary head.  
  
When realization sunk in, she sat up completely as her eyes lit up like the brilliance of the stars. She threw her arms around Cloud in a gasp of joy, holding him tightly to her body as he quickly slipped his arms around her in return.   
  
"Cloud! I was so worried, I-"  
  
He cut her off curtly with a deep, tender kiss, searching her warm mouth eagerly with his tongue. Tifa's eyes widened in sudden surprise, then responded just as quickly by sliding her diminutive hands around his neck, pulling him closer, beckoning him to stay with her like this for much longer. Electricity slowly spread through their entwined bodies, generating goose bumps of excitement over the surface of their skin.  
  
They held each other so tightly for so long that when they finally pulled their moist lips apart, they were both gasping slightly for breath. Cloud stared into her gorgeous eyes of the deepest wine, intoxicated by her beauty, her love, by -her-.  
  
Tifa lifted herself slightly on her toes and reached for Cloud's mouth again, delivering a series of slow, passionate yet shallow kisses on his soft lips. Just the feeling of her soft touch sent shivers down his spine. He longed for more of her, but he knew that now was not the time, and this was most definitely not the place.  
  
In a sweeping motion, he picked Tifa off of her feet, carrying her like a groom would carry his bride. Laying one last tender kiss upon her lips, he carried her towards the door.  
  
"Let's go home, Tifa."  
  
  
  
..x.x.x.x.x..  
  
  
  
.x. Epilogue .x.  
  
They were all together again in the home built bar in the Nibelheim mansion. Merely two weeks had passed since the interlude with Tadrith. None of them wished to return to the place so soon, though Tifa had told them of what she had found in the library of Hojo's mansion. They decided to wait to return to the nightmarish hell that Shin-Ra had left behind, it was too soon to bring to light the other monstrous secrets they had left hidden.  
  
The room was full of laughter as they all sat around the large, round oak table that centered the large bar room, playing at a game of poker. The truth was, neither of them were really good at it, so they took turns poking fun at each other for their horrible losses. Of all of them, though, Red had the hardest time playing, since it was he who could barely manage the cards in his large, feline paws.  
  
Tifa's own home cooked meal was settling in all their bellies as they each occasionally sipped at their favorite choice of beverage, (which by now, Tifa had learned by heart.) It turned out after a while that Vincent was a really good player, he'd just been holding it back.  
  
"You would be surprised at what you learn to do in your spare time as a Turk. The Shin-Ra, mostly the Turks, were relentless for their... lack of duty." Was his only reply to any questions to his skill.  
  
Once they got tired of the shuffling and dealing of cards, some of them moved on to a game of pool, which was equally amusing; with Vincent's metal claw, Red's infamous paws, CaitSith's stuffed body, and Barret's gun arm. The laughter never seemed to stop, that evening.  
  
It occurred to them that the laughter and light spirit around them was not from their humorous trials at random games, or even then possible overdose of beverages. (None of them were really heavy drinkers, so that hardly ever occurred.) It was just that they were happy. They were free, able to do normal, everyday human activities, and to laugh and smile without the weight of the world on their shoulders. It was enlightening, they all felt so -alive-.  
  
As time passed, they all eventually settled in the comfortable living room, just to talk. About anything, everything.. It didn't matter how embarrassing or simply stupid, they talked about it all. Friends.. That's what they were, that's what they would always be.  
  
When 3:30 in the morning finally rolled around, Tifa excused herself from the group, wishing for a breath of fresh, night air. They others nodded in accordance, Tifa usually did this late at night. She adored the stars, and loved staring up at them from the comfort of -her- well.  
  
After she left, Cloud looked around rather nervously. Barret nudged him on the arm comfortingly, knowing the circumstances filling the young man's head. They others gave their own words of comfort, or advice, and after taking a deep breath, Cloud stood and walked to the front door. He took one last glance over his shoulder to see the brightly grinning faces of his closest companions. /Too bright, for this time in the morning../  
  
He smiled nervously back, then walked out the front door, feeling the cool night air surround his body. He stepped forward a bit and looked at his reflection in one of the windows, straightening his shirt, fixing his belt and running a hand deftly through his blonde spikes.  
  
Trying to keep his cool, he turned and walked to the well, still placed in the center of town, where it had originally stood since they were kids. /But our old one was burned down with the rest of the town.. The memory of our promise died away with it. Time to give her a new memory, for the new well../  
  
His steps were quick and eager, his fingers tingling with nervous tension. He gazed at the well as it drew nearer, and saw the lovely figure of Tifa sitting daintily upon it, hugging her knees to herself as she gazed longingly at the stars. He didn't allow himself to stop, didn't want his anxiety to settle in.  
  
Tifa heard the metallic sound of footsteps up the metal ladder echo off of the nearby town houses, and looked over her shoulder to see none other than Cloud slowly rise to the platform. She flashed him her dazzling smile, along with a quick playful wink.  
  
Cloud, however, remained with an expression of serious matter, and walked around the stone well to sit next to her on it's wall. He immediately slipped his strong arm around her and pulled her closer to him, never taking his eyes off of hers.  
  
Tifa eagerly leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body surround her in waves of pleasant delight. He tenderly took her face in his hands before she could tell him anything at all, and placed a soft kiss on her skin.  
  
"Tifa, I need to talk to you about something." He told her, with that serious look reflecting in his eyes.  
  
She leaned her head to the side in curiosity and urged him silently to go on, that she was listening intently. Cloud swung one leg over the side of the well so that one leg was on either side of it's stone walls. He smiled at her and beckoned her closer with his eyes. She smiled in return and slid close to him, so that her back was laying against his chest. He proceeded to wrap his arms tightly and protectively around his love, promising silently to keep her close forever.  
  
"This town has many memories to it, for the both of us." Cloud said softly. The smell of Tifa so close to him was so enticing.. But he pressed on. "Though it's been authentically built over again after it was burned down. Including this well, which holds some of the most important memories for us."  
  
Tifa nodded, and he could feel her smile. "It's in the same spot under the stars, though." Tifa looked up, laying her head on Cloud's broad shoulder. "These very stars, right here, remember everything."  
  
Cloud tenderly kissed the crown of her head, inhaling the wonderful smell of her soft, dark hair. "Yeah, but I'd like to make a new promise." He squeezed her a little tighter, a little closer. "So that a new memory can be embedded in the walls of this town, of our well."  
  
Cloud gently removed himself from behind Tifa and knelt down before her on one knee, tenderly taking one of her soft hands in his. Her eyes widened in astonishment and instantly moistened. She gasped quietly, her breath captivating Cloud, encompassing him to go further.  
  
"Tifa, to you alone I promise my love, for the rest of my life, til my last dying breath. You have brought to life a part of me that I thought never existed, and you've shown me a life I never thought I could have. My heart burns to love you, and my arms long to hold you every day and night. Just like I had nearly 8 years ago, I promise again to protect you from any harm. In any time of need, I will be there for you, As you always have for me."  
  
He paused and reached down, picking up a tiny, black velvet box. He never took his eye's away from hers, watching as crystalline tears slid tenderly down her porcelain cheeks. He opened the box to reveal a silver ring, intricately inlaid with a heart shaped gem that shamed even the most perfect diamond; it reflected the brilliance of the heavenly stars above them.  
  
Cloud delicately slid the ring onto Tifa's left ring finger, and she let free a whole new set of tears, gasping again while placing her free hand to her lips.  
  
"Tifa Lockheart, my friend, my love, my life.. Will you marry me?" The words flowed not from Cloud's lips, but from his heart. When he said them, they sounded so -right-, so perfect, as if it were meant to be.  
  
Tifa hardly hesitated. "Yes, Cloud, with all my heart.. I will."  
  
Cloud gently pulled her hand, pulling her down on top of him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders while kissing him passionately through her tears. Cloud laid back on the platform of the well, pressing Tifa firmly against him, desperate for her touch, her warmth.  
  
They laid there for several minutes, kissing each other and holding one another as the heated passion heightened. They were both so completely caught up in each other that they hardly noticed where they were, and scarcely did they care.  
  
Cloud slid his calm hands down Tifa's back while exploring her mouth with his, carefully wrapping her long, beautiful legs around him as Tifa reached forward, pulling his shirt off over his head, admiring and touching his muscular chest.  
  
Cloud couldn't stand the distance that put between them and tenderly pulled her body against his again, just wanting so much to -feel- her body there with his. He wanted to touch her heart, her soul.. And after tonight, he would.  
  
He rubbed his warm hands up along Tifa's smooth skin on her back, and unsnapped her bra underneath her shirt with a deftness and skill he didn't know he had. Both of their hearts were racing like wild horses, yet neither of them could stop themselves. It was like throwing themselves before a speeding freight train of passion and emotion, and each of them only craved fore more.  
  
Tifa shivered as Cloud pulled her shirt away, but felt the warmth of his body so close that it didn't matter how cold it was. Cloud gently rolled himself over closer to the well and away from the dangerous dropping ledge of the platform, putting himself on top of his beloved. He hovered over her with so much tenderness and care..  
  
They gazed into one another's eyes and felt the electricity between them strike their very souls. Tifa reached her hands up lovingly and pulled Cloud's lips to hers, showing that it was alright, that she wasn't scared, that she trusted him.  
  
Before too long, they were both completely nude, only wearing the lover's fashion as they stared long and true at each other. There was no turning back, passion and love had seized them, and they longed to feel each other as they never had before. Cloud gently stroked Tifa's hair as she kissed him tenderly.  
  
With smooth, tender and careful motions, Cloud finally entered her, for the first time in a lover's embrace, staining the well with the new memories of the first time they made love to each other.  
  
And as they had for all eternity, the stars watched from above, twinkling with their ages of wisdom, sealing forever the love that was conceived below, remembering it for all of time.  
  
  
..x.X.x. The End .x.X.x.. 


End file.
